In a bid to address ongoing rumors Circulating online which claims that the Chief Of Army staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja,has passed away.The Nigeria Army , on Sunday , officially Announced that the General is in perfect health condition
The speculative report emerged from a social media post of a -yet-to-be- identified Journalist on X, who disclosed that the Lieutenant General had passed away , barely 48 hours ago due to cancer .
According to the post,“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”.
“The death of the Chief of Army Staff has been kept secret due to intense lobbying by some generals who wish to take the position” .it added
The Lieutenant General, Taoreed Lagbaja,was born on 28 February 1968 in Ilobu, Osun State and appointed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023 as the 27th Chief of Army Staff.
Reacting to this claim, the Nigerian Army described it as False and fake news.
Meanwhile ,the Punch newspaper confirmed from Insider sources at the Army Headquarters that the Chief Of Army Staff has been battling with a critical medical Condition.
An anonymous source confirmed that the Lieutenant General isn’t dead but critically ill, “The COAS is not dead. He is only critically ill at the moment. We should be praying for him at this critical time and not spreading rumours of his death.”
Another source revealed that he had travelled abroad for medical treatment.
“He is out of the country for treatment. I have not heard of his death from anyone close to him. There is no way such information could be hidden.”
However , all ways to reach the Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, regarding this matter, has been proved abortive.
Eniola Jolaoso