By Gloria Ikibah
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has expressed shock over the demise of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, describing it as a huge loss to the Armed Forces and Nigeria as a country.
Lt. Gen. Lagbaja died on Tuesday night, aged 56, after an illness, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.
This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Speaker Abbas, who describing Lt. Gen. Lagbaja as “a gallant military officer,” noted that the late Army Chief recorded modest achievements in a short period as the COAS.
The Speaker recalled how Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, after becoming the COAS, went round military bases across the country, especially in the North-East and North-West, to motivate soldiers at the battlefields.
This, Speaker Abbas said, exemplified Lt. Gen. Lagbaja’s dogged spirit and determination to make the country safe for all.
The Speaker commiserated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Lagbaja family, the people, and government of Osun State over the loss.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Chief of Army Staff.