View source for Taoreed Lagbaja

{{Short description|Nigerian army officer (1968–2024)}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name             = Taoreed Lagbaja
|honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant general (Nigeria)|Lieutenant General]]
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NG|CFR|size=100%}}
|image            =
|alt              = Portrait of Taoreed Lagbaja
|caption          = Lagbaja in 2023
|office           = [[Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria)|Chief of Army Staff]]
|term_start       = 23 June 2023
|term_end         = 5 November 2024
|president        = [[Bola Tinubu]]
|predecessor      = [[Faruk Yahaya]]
|successor        = [[Olufemi Oluyede]]
|birth_date       = {{Birth date|1968|02|28|df=yes}}
|birth_place      = [[Irepodun, Osun|Irepodun]], [[Western State, Nigeria|Western State]], [[Military dictatorship in Nigeria|Nigeria]] (now in [[Osun State]])
|death_date       = {{Death date and age|2024|11|05|1968|02|28|df=yes}}
|death_place      = [[Lagos]], Nigeria
|allegiance       = {{flag|Nigeria}}
|branch           = [[File:Flag of the Nigerian Army Headquarters.svg|21px]] [[Nigerian Army]]
|serviceyears     = 1987–2024
|rank             = [[File:Nigeria-Army-OF-8.svg|20px]] [[Lieutenant general (Nigeria)|Lieutenant general]]
|education        = St Charles Grammar School<br>Local Authority Teachers College
|alma_mater       = [[Nigerian Defence Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BSc]])<br>[[United States Army War College]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])
}}
'''Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja''' {{post-nominals|country=NG|CFR}} (28 February 1968 – 5 November 2024) was a [[Nigerian Army]] [[lieutenant general]] who served as the [[Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria)|Chief of Army Staff]] of Nigeria from June 2023 to November 2024.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ogalla, Abubakar, Egbetokun, Lagbaja, Musa - Meet Nigeria new Service Chiefs|department=[[BBC News Pidgin]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-65954606|access-date=2023-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Udeh|first1=Stella|last2=Aguwa|first2=Emmanuel|last3=Onwasigwe|first3=Chika|year=2022|title=Workplace burnout and psychological health of military personnel in a Nigerian barrack|journal=Nigerian Journal of Medicine|volume=31|issue=3|pages=302|doi=10.4103/njm.njm_31_22|s2cid=250008900|issn=1115-2613|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ariemu|first=Ogaga|date=2023-06-20|title=10 interesting things to know about new COAS, Maj Gen Lagbaja|url=https://dailypost.ng/2023/06/20/10-interesting-things-to-know-about-new-coas-maj-gen-lagbaja/|access-date=2023-06-20|work=[[Daily Post (Nigeria)|Daily Post]]}}</ref> He was appointed on 19 June 2023 by President [[Bola Tinubu]] to succeed Lieutenant General [[Faruk Yahaya]].
==Early life==
Lagbaja was born in the town of Ilobu in [[Irepodun, Osun|Irepodun]], present day [[Osun State]] on 28 February 1968. He spent his early life in [[Osogbo]] where he attended the St Charles Grammar School and Local Authority Teachers College.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last=Yusuf|first=Kabir|date=2023-06-20|title=Profile: Major General Taoreed Lagbaja: New head of Nigerian Army|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/605552-profile-major-general-taoreed-lagbaja-new-head-of-nigerian-army.html|access-date=2023-06-20|work=[[Premium Times]]}}</ref>
==Career==
Lagbaja was admitted into the [[Nigerian Defence Academy]] in 1987 as a member of the 39th Regular Course. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 19 September 1992 into the Nigerian Infantry Corps. Between 1992 and 1995, Lagbaja was platoon commander of the 93 Battalion. From 1995 to 2001, he was platoon commander of 72 Special Forces Battalion. In 2001, Lagbaja obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the Nigerian Defence Academy. He studied Strategic Studies at the [[US Army War College]] at the Master's level.
He was an instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy from 2001 to 2004. At a time, Lagbaja was a Grade 2 Staff Officer in charge of peacekeeping at the Army Headquarters Department of Army Training and Operations. Then he was a Directing Staff at the [[Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji]] from 2006 to 2009.
In 2009, he became Deputy Chief of Staff G1 at Headquarters [[81st Division (Nigeria)|81 Division]] and subsequently, he became Commanding Officer at 72 Special Forces Battalion Makurdi from 2012 to 2013 and 2014 to 2015. In 2016, he was named the Chief of Staff at Headquarters 8 Task Force Division, [[Monguno]]. He served as Director of Operations at the Army Headquarters Department of Army Training and Operations from January to December 2018. He was a Commander of Headquarters 9 Brigade, [[Ikeja]], [[Lagos State]] and Headquarters 2 Brigade, [[Uyo]], [[Akwa Ibom State]]. Before his new appointment, Lagbaja was [[General Officer Commanding]] Headquarters 82 Division from March 2021 to August 2022 and Headquarters [[1st Division (Nigeria)|1 Division]] from August 2022 to June 2023.
Earlier in 2008, he attended the Military Observers Course on Peacekeeping Wing at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (February – May 2008) and ECOWAS Standby Force Battalion Command Post Course – Peacekeeping Centre, [[Bamako]], Mali – (June – August 2010). He started his career as a second lieutenant and he was a [[lieutenant general]], a rank he was promoted to in July 2023.
Lagbaja participated in Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi Peninsula; United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC); Operation ZAKI Internal Security Operation in [[Benue State]]; Operation "Lafiya Dole"; Operation MESA/Operation UDO KA – March 2021 – August 2022 – Internal Security Operation in South-east Nigeria ([[Anambra]]/Abia/[[Ebonyi]]/Enugu and [[Imo State]]s); and Operation "Forest Sanity" – Aug 2022 to 2023 – Internal Security Operation in Kaduna/[[Niger State]]s.<ref name=":0"/>
==Personal life and death==
Married to Mariya Abiodun-Lagbaja, he also had three children.
Lagbaja died in [[Lagos]], Nigeria, on 5 November 2024, at the age of 56.<ref>[https://newscentral.africa/breaking-nigerias-army-chief-lt-general-taoreed-lagbaja-passes-away-at-56/ Nigeria’s Army Chief Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja Passes Away at 56]</ref> This followed speculation after he had not made a public appearance since September. A week before his death, he was replaced in an acting capacity by Lt. Gen. [[Olufemi Oluyede]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Nigeria’s army chief, who led the country through one of Africa’s longest conflicts, dies at 56 |url=https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-army-chief-lagbaja-death-43cf6ef5bd232e26603d4ecb20c9a0ee |website=Associated Press |date=6 November 2024}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Chiefs of Army Staff (COAS) Nigeria}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagbaja, Taoreed}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Army Staff (Nigeria)]]
[[Category:Nigerian Muslims]]
[[Category:Nigerian generals]]
[[Category:Nigerian Defence Academy alumni]]
[[Category:People from Osun State]]