COAS Death ;Tinubu Postponed FEC Meeting

President Bola Tinubu has rescheduled the Federal Executive Council meeting till another date to be announced.

Initially scheduled for today, the council meeting was postponed in honour of Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, who passed away on Tuesday night.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.

General Lagbaja, whose death was earlier announced by the Presidency, served as the 27th Chief of Army Staff from June 19, 2023, till his death on November 5, 2024.

President Tinubu also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide for seven days in honour of the departed general.

President Tinubu had in the earlier statement expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Lagbaja family and the Nigerian Armed Forces.

He wished Lt. General Lagbaja eternal peace and honoured his significant contributions to the nation.

Lagbaja began his military career when he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987. On September 19, 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th Regular Course.

Lt. General Lagbaja also served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

He played pivotal roles in numerous internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in Southeast Nigeria, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.