The Nigerian Army has refuted media claims of a leadership vacuum due to the absence of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
Army spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, clarified that Lagbaja is currently on official leave and that the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, has been designated to act on his behalf.
Nwachukwu also stressed that Lagbaja’s absence is not impacting the Army’s operations.
“There have even been insinuations that there is a leadership vacuum, with officers confused about what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said on Saturday.
“To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances. Before proceeding on leave, necessary protocols were put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS while he was away.
“This is not peculiar to the NA, as there have been instances where unforeseen human frailty kept service chiefs away for about three months, and their Chiefs of Policy and Plans held sway in their absence. Claims of a leadership vacuum in the NA at present are therefore mere speculation, as all routine and scheduled activities of the service are on course.”
The army spokesman affirmed that all routine and scheduled activities within the service are proceeding as planned, with the relevant departmental chiefs effectively fulfilling their duties in accordance with the Chief of Army Staff’s directives.
He urged the public to dismiss any rumors, assuring them of the Nigerian Army’s ongoing commitment to its responsibilities and service.