President Tinubu Honours Late COAS Lagbaja with CFR Title

Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has bestowed on the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja the posthumous national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic.

This was conferred on him during his burial ceremony on Friday in Abuja.

According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Lagbaja was earlier reported to have died “in Lagos.”

Controversy then brewed when, on Friday, images surfaced of his body arriving at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

Lt. General Lagbaja’s distinguished military career

Born on February 28, 1968, Lt. General Lagbaja was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu. His military career began when he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987.

On September 19, 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th Regular Course. Lagbaja served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

According to the obituary statement from the president, General Lagbaja played pivotal roles in numerous internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in Southeast Nigeria, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.

An alumnus of the prestigious U.S. Army War College, he earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies, demonstrating his dedication to professional growth and excellence in military leadership.

Lt. General Lagbaja is survived by his beloved wife, Mariya, and their two children.