Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced that Nigerian army chief Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has died after a “period of illness” at the age of 56.

He died in Lagos on Tuesday night. The exact details of his illness have not been made public.

In a statement Shared on X President Tinubu expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to the family of General Lagbaja, according to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.

“President Tinubu wishes eternal peace to Lieutenant General Lagbaja and honors his significant contributions to the country,” the statement said. The statement was included.

It was stated that his death was a significant loss for the Nigerian Armed Forces, which “played important roles in numerous internal security operations”.

The Chief of Defense Staff is the highest-ranking military officer in the Nigerian army.

General Lagbaja was appointed to the position in June 2023, shortly after President Tinubu took office.

He was frequently away from duty – sometimes out of the country to receive treatment for an undisclosed illness – and had not been seen in public for some time, leading to concerns.

During his short tenure, Nigeria has witnessed an increase in attacks and kidnappings by fighters from the Islamist Boko Haram group, especially in the northern and central parts of the country.

This includes: Mass abduction of more than 280 children in Kuriga earlier this year.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari led a task force near Maiduguri, the northeastern city hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, under its offensive against the jihadist insurgency.

In the face of extreme security concerns, General Lagbja made it a point to ensure that the military would not interfere with the country’s democracy, especially after military coups in many neighboring countries.

“We are representatives of democracy and we have no intention of interrupting it,” he said.

He also participated in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2003.

Before joining the army, General Lagbaja attended a teachers’ college in Osogbo. He started his military career by joining the Nigerian Defense Academy in 1987.

He later earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania.

General Lagbaja is survived by his wife Mariya and two children.

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