COAS Lagbaja was buried in Abuja amid sobs and tribute, Tinubu, Shettima, and others paid their final respects.
Following an outstanding military career spanning decades, the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest in Abuja amid accolades and tears.
Two days of funeral ceremonies that had started earlier in the week in Lagos came to a close with the internment at the National Cemetery in the nation’s capital.
Following a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja, Lagbaja’s casket—draped in the green and white colors of Nigeria—arrived at the cemetery at approximately 3 p.m. in a white funeral van.
Following the ritual, which lasted four and a half hours, his body was lowered to Mother Earth at precisely 4:41 pm.
The day before the late COAS’s burial, a singing service was held at the Parade Ground, Army Headquarters Garrison, Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja.
Around 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, the Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying Lagbaja’s remains touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
A number of dignitaries were present. Top government officials and military leaders attended the event, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Acting Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defense Staff General Christopher Musa, and Minister of Defense Abubakar Badaru.
President Tinubu referred to the late Lagbaja’s nomination as one of his best choices since taking office as Nigeria’s leader in his eulogy.
Tinubu asked the military not to be disheartened by the passing of the COAS, saying, “As a lasting token of our gratitude, I have bestowed upon the late Chief of Army Staff the posthumous national honor of the Commander of the Federal Republic of the Niger (CFR).”
“As commander-in-chief, I reaffirm my promise to you today that the nation will always support you and your family. Please, do not allow death to defeat us,” he urged.
The military’s determination to combat insecurity would not be weakened by the COAS’s demise, according to CDS General Musa.
“Let us use this opportunity to recommit ourselves to the principles that General Labaja stood for, my fellow officers and men,” he urged.As we defend our wonderful country, let us make sure that his service and sacrifice continue to serve as our compass. His death will serve as a catalyst for our continued determination to overcome the state’s adversaries, both inside and outside.
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