The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports circulating on social media that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has passed away.
The rumor, which was spread by Jackson Ude, an X user, claimed that Lagbaja had died from stage three cancer at an undisclosed hospital overseas about 48 hours prior.
In his post, Ude alleged that the news of Lagbaja’s death was being kept secret due to intense lobbying among senior army generals vying for the position. The post read:
“CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF DIES OF CANCER. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died. Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago from stage three cancer, according to a senior government official.”
Ude further claimed that the silence surrounding the death was due to internal power struggles within the military.
He noted that Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, had been appointed as the 27th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
However, in a swift response, the Nigerian Army refuted these claims, labeling them as “false.”
The Army spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, clarified that Lt. Gen. Lagbaja is alive and is currently on leave.
He also announced that in Lagbaja’s absence, Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, the Army’s Chief of Policy and Plans, will act in his stead.
