The Nigerian Army has countered claims that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, is dead.
On Sunday, an X user, Jackson Ude, wrote that Labaja died of cancer in an undisclosed hospital abroad.
Ude claimed that Lagbaja’s death was not announced due to intense lobbying by some top army generals.
“CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF DIES OF CANCER. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died. Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago from stage three cancer, according to a senior government official,” he wrote.
“The death of the Chief of Army Staff has been kept secret because of intense lobbying by some generals who want to take the position.
“Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, as the 27th Chief of Army Staff.”
But the Nigerian Army said Ude’s claim was “fake news”.
On Saturday, spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu, said Labaja was on leave and receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Nwachukwu said the Army Chief of Policy and Plans, Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, acts in Lagbaja’s stead so there was no leadership vacuum in the army.
