BREAKING: Nigerian Army Debunks Death Rumors of Chief of Army Staff

The Nigerian Army has officially refuted reports circulating on Sunday claiming that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, had passed away.

The rumors, which originated from a social media post by a Nigerian journalist, rapidly gained traction online. The post alleged that Lagbaja had succumbed to cancer two days earlier.

The viral post read: “The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died. Lagbaja passed away in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago from stage three cancer, according to a senior government official. The news has been kept secret due to intense lobbying by certain generals aiming to succeed him.”

It further highlighted Lagbaja’s career, stating: “Born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, Lagbaja was appointed the 27th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.”

In response, the Nigerian Army took to X (formerly Twitter) to dismiss the reports as fake news.

However, sources within Army Headquarters revealed to our correspondent that while the Army Chief is not dead, he is critically ill.

One source explained, “The COAS is not dead. He is critically ill and requires our prayers at this time, rather than the spread of false information.”

Another insider confirmed that Lagbaja had traveled abroad for medical treatment, adding, “He is receiving treatment overseas. I have not heard any credible reports of his death. Such news would be impossible to hide.”

Efforts to reach the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off, and he had not responded to messages at the time of publication.