Guard of Honour held for late Chief of Army Staff as remains of Lagbaja arrive Abuja
By OUR REPORTER, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, former Minister of Communications and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), and former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, have since expressed their heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces over the demise that Sultan and General Olanrewaju specifically described as a rude shock.
Remains of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has arrived in Abuja ahead of burial on Friday.
The Nigerian Air Force plane NAF 918, carrying the body of the late COAS, landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, at around 12:15pm on Thursday.
The DEFENDER reports that his remains had left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos around 11am.
Military top brass were on ground to receive the remains of the late COAS at the Abuja Airport, with military band playing to the loudest.
Upon arrival at the airport in the federal capital, a guard of honor was accorded to the body of the late Chief of Army Staff and was taken down the red carpet in full view of Nigeria’s military top brass.
The late COAS body will be taken from the airport to a medical facility while a service of songs will hold in his honour at the Mogadishu Barracks popularly called later on Thursday.
His remains will, however, be moved from the medical facility to the National Christian Centre, Abuja where the funeral service for the fallen hero will hold and from where they will be moved to the National Military Cemetery Abuja for interment on Friday.
The Army Chief passed away last week precisely on Tuesday November 5, 2024, according to the Presidency.
Lagbaja died in Lagos after a period of illness. However, the illness was not disclosed.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, former Minister of Communications and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), and former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, have since expressed their heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces over the demise that Sultan and General Olanrewaju specifically described as a rude shock.
Born on February 28, 1968, Lagbaja served as the Chief of Army Staff for one year and four months following his appointment to the position by President Tinubu in June 2023.
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.
Lieutenant General Lagbaja also served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.
He 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.
Lieutenant General Lagbaja is survived by his beloved wife, Mariya, and their two children.
