By Uchegbu Melvin

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has expressed sadness over the death of Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja.

A statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Kennedy Mbele, said the lawmaker extends her condolences to the late general’s family, the Nigerian Army over the loss.

Kingibe, who described the late alumnus of the prestigious US Army War College as a core professional, urged military officers across the country to emulate his legacy of service, integrity and prayed for the repose of his soul.

Lagbaja, appointed on June 19, 2023, by President Bola Tinubu to succeed Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff, was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987 as a member of the 39th Regular Course.

On September 19, 1992, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Nigerian Infantry Corps.

On November 5, 2024, Lagbaja died at the age of 56, but a few days before his death, he was replaced in an acting capacity by Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, acting in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, appointed Olufemi Oluyede as the COAS.”