Nigeria’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has passed away, The Associated Press reports, citing President Bola Tinubu.
The 56-year-old general died Tuesday night in Lagos after a period of illness, the president’s office stated without providing further details.
Lagbaja’s death comes at a critical juncture in the country’s prolonged fight against Islamist extremists in the northeast. He had served as army chief since June 2023 and had been absent from public view for nearly two months, fueling rumors of his demise. These rumors were initially denied by the Nigerian army, but Lagbaja was replaced by Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede in an acting capacity last week.
Lagbaja’s death marks the second time in less than four years that a Nigerian army chief has died while in office. His predecessor, Ibrahim Attahiru, perished in a military air crash in 2021 after just four months at the helm.
The Nigerian military, hampered by underfunding and limited resources, has struggled to contain the expanding influence of extremist groups in the northeast. While the frequency of attacks has declined in recent years, analysts warn that militants have intensified recruitment efforts and consolidated their presence in the Lake Chad region.
Beyond the northeast, Nigeria faces a complex security landscape, with widespread killings and kidnappings for ransom by armed groups in the north posing ongoing challenges. During Lagbaja’s tenure, at least 11,600 people, including security personnel, lost their lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.
Lagbaja had pledged to prioritize discipline and professionalism within the Nigerian army, aiming to reshape the institution’s image marred by accusations of civilian abuse and extrajudicial killings.
Nigeria’s Defense Chief, Gen. Christopher Musa, charactirized Lagbaja’s death as a “tremendous loss” to the military and the nation. He commended the late army chief’s “sterling performance, courage and steadfast commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty.”
