Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja: Biography Chief of Army Staff

Biography of Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja 

• Full Name: Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja
• Position: Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army
• Date of Appointment: 23 June 2023
• President: Bola Tinubu
• Predecessor: Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya

Personal Details

• Date of Birth: 28 February 1968
• Place of Birth: Ilobu, Irepodun (now part of Osun State), Nigeria
• Date of Death: 6 November 2024
• Education: St Charles Grammar School, Local Authority Teachers College
• Alma Mater: Nigerian Defence Academy (Bachelor’s in Geography), United States Army War College (Master’s in Strategic Studies)

Early Life and Education

Born on 28 February 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, Nigeria, Taoreed Lagbaja spent his early years in Osogbo, attending St Charles Grammar School and Local Authority Teachers College. He entered the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987, graduating as a second lieutenant in 1992 and later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Geography. He also earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

Military Career

Lagbaja’s military career began in the Nigerian Infantry Corps. He held a variety of key roles, notably:

• Platoon Commander at 93 Battalion (1992–1995) and 72 Special Forces Battalion (1995–2001).
• Instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy (2001–2004).
• Staff Officer in peacekeeping, Army Headquarters (2004).
• Commanding Officer at 72 Special Forces Battalion in Makurdi (2012–2013, 2014–2015).
• Commander of 9 Brigade, Lagos, and 2 Brigade, Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
• General Officer Commanding of Headquarters 82 Division (2021–2022) and Headquarters 1 Division (2022–2023).

In 2023, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed as the Chief of Army Staff. Throughout his career, he participated in numerous operations, including international missions such as the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and several internal security operations across Nigeria.

International and Peacekeeping Missions

Lagbaja contributed to various peacekeeping and security efforts:

• Operation HARMONY IV in the Bakassi Peninsula
• United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC)
• Operation ZAKI (Benue State Internal Security Operation)
• Operation Lafiya Dole and Operation Mesa/Udo Ka (Internal Security Operations in the Southeast)
• Operation Forest Sanity (Security Operations in Kaduna and Niger States)

Personal Life

Lieutenant General Lagbaja was married to Mariya Abiodun-Lagbaja, with whom he had two children. In his personal time, he enjoyed watching documentaries and reading biographies.

Lieutenant General Lagbaja’s commitment to national security and international peace defined his impactful career in the Nigerian Army.