In mourning of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, President Bola Tinubu, has ordered Nigeria national flags to be flown at half-mast nationwide for seven days.
Lagbaja, who was appointed appointed by Tinubu on June 19, 2023, reportedly died on Tuesday night after an undisclosed ailment.
In a release Wednesday by The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, in a statement on Wednesday, conveyed the president’s grief over Lagbaja’s death.
Akume stated, “President Bola Tinubu has expressed regret over the death of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, at the age of 56 following a brief illness. He has directed that national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the late Army chief, appreciating his dedicated service to the nation and extending condolences to his family.”
The Ministers of Defence, Mohammed Badaru and Bello Matawalle, also expressed their condolences.
The Defence Ministry spokesperson Henshaw Ogubike, in a press release, said the demise is a significant loss to the Army and the nation.
“We were deeply shocked at the Ministry of Defence by his passing. His work with us was marked by cooperation and camaraderie,” the statement said.
