The Nigerian Army has described as false, reports of the death of its Chief of Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja
There have been unconfirmed reports that the Army Chief had died from cancer.
However, Army Spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement dismissed the reports, saying that the COAS is receiving treatment while on official leave.
He said, “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.”
“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.
