Nigeria mourns the loss of its Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away on Tuesday in Lagos after a brief illness.
His untimely death, coming just a year after his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, has sent waves of shock across the nation.
This sorrowful incident is the third time a Chief of Army Staff has died while in office, marking yet another painful chapter in Nigeria’s history of military leadership losses.
Below are the former Chiefs of Army Staff who met a similar fate while serving in office:
Joseph Akahan (August 1967)
Joseph Akahan, appointed as Army Chief at the age of 30, assumed the role shortly before the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967. Following a visit to the frontlines in Nsukka, he returned briefly to his hometown in Gboko to rest.
Tragically, on his way back to Makurdi, the helicopter he was traveling in crashed, resulting in his death along with those of the two pilots on board.
Attahiru Ibrahim (May 21, 2021)
Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, appointed as Chief of Army Staff in January 2021 to succeed Tukur Buratai, tragically passed away just months into his tenure. His appointment, along with those of other service chiefs—Lucky Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff, Zubairu Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff, and Isiaka Amao as Chief of Air Staff—came amid mounting pressure for new military leadership due to rising security challenges.
While on an official assignment from Abuja to Kaduna, Attahiru’s aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, resulting in a crash that claimed his life along with those of 10 members of his entourage.
Taoreed Lagbaja (November 5, 2024)
Lagbaja, a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1992. Prior to his appointment as Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, he served as a platoon commander with the 93 Battalion and later with the 72 Special Forces Battalion.
He was instrumental in several internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in the Southeast, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that the Army chief passed away in Lagos following a brief illness. His position has now been filled by Olufemi Oluyede, his classmate from the Nigerian Defence Academy, who was appointed acting Chief of Army Staff last Wednesday amid Lagbaja’s prolonged indisposition.