Nigerian Army refutes false reports of Chief of Army Staff’s death

The Nigerian Army has firmly rejected rumors circulating about the death of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, labeling such claims as false.

Through its official X account, @HQNigerianArmy, the Army dismissed an online report that emerged on Sunday, which stated, “Chief of Army Staff dies of cancer.” This report alleged that Lt. Gen. Lagbaja had died in an undisclosed overseas hospital nearly 48 hours earlier due to stage three cancer, as claimed by a senior government official.

Additionally, the report suggested that the news of his death was being concealed due to intense lobbying from other Army Generals looking to succeed him.

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Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed as the 27th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023. The Army Headquarters emphasized the importance of accurate information and urged the public to disregard any unverified claims regarding the health or status of its leadership.

In a related statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, also dismissed the rumors. He stated via his X account: “Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu has dismissed fake reports about the chief of army staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja.

“To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances. Before proceeding on leave, necessary protocols were put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS while he is away.”

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