The Nigerian Army on Sunday dismissed rumours circulating about the death of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.
The reports, which originated from a social media post by a Nigerian journalist, quickly went viral, claiming that the Army chief had passed away from cancer 48 hours earlier.
The journalist’s post stated: “Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, has died. He passed away in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago due to stage three cancer, according to a senior government official. The announcement of his death has been delayed due to intense lobbying by some generals aiming for his position. Lagbaja, born on 28th February 1968 in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed as the 27th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.”
In response, the Nigerian Army, through a post on X, categorically debunked the report, labelling it as fake news.
However, sources at the Army Headquarters confirmed that Lt. Gen. Lagbaja was critically ill. One source said, “The COAS is not dead. He is currently in a critical condition. At this time, we should be praying for his recovery instead of spreading false reports.”
Another insider disclosed that the Army chief had travelled abroad for medical treatment, adding, “He is receiving treatment overseas. I have not heard any confirmed news of his death. Such information could not easily be kept secret.”
Attempts to reach Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off, and he had not yet responded to a message seeking comment on the matter.