The Nigerian Army on Sunday dismissed reports claiming that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has passed away. The rumors, which originated from a social media post by a Nigerian journalist, quickly gained traction online, alleging that Lagbaja died from cancer 48 hours earlier.
According to the viral post, Lagbaja reportedly died in an undisclosed overseas hospital, and his death was being concealed due to lobbying among military generals for his position. The post also provided details of Lagbaja’s career, noting that he was appointed as the 27th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
However, officials at Army Headquarters firmly debunked these claims. Speaking to our correspondent, a source within the Army confirmed that while the Army chief is critically ill, he is still alive.
“The COAS is not dead. He is only critically ill at the moment. We should be praying for him instead of spreading rumors,” the source said.
Another insider corroborated that Lagbaja had traveled abroad for medical treatment but denied any knowledge of his death. “He is out of the country for treatment. I haven’t heard of his death from any credible source. Such information couldn’t be kept secret,” the source stated.
Efforts to reach the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, for an official statement were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off, and no response was received to a message sent to him regarding the matter.
