The Head of the Lagbaja family, Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, has expressed deep regret over encouraging his late nephew, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), to pursue a career in the military by obtaining the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) admission form for him. He reflected on the tragic and sudden nature of the General’s passing, which he and other family members suspect may have been influenced by diabolical means related to a longstanding land dispute.
“If I had known his life would be cut short, I would never have taken that step,” Pa Tajudeen told The Nation, recalling how he saw the late COAS as one of his own children. “Taoreed was a pillar in our family and community, providing essentials like a borehole for his father’s compound and other areas. His passing is a shock to us all, but we accept it as fate.”
Other family members echoed this sentiment, with Madam Toyin, a relative, alleging that Lt. General Lagbaja’s death may have been caused by diabolical means due to conflicts over land in Ilobu, his hometown. In 2023, tensions flared in Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area in Osun State, when plans were made by the Nigerian Army to establish a hospital in the area.
Despite the sorrow, Pa Tajudeen remains grateful for the hope the late COAS provided during his life, even as the family struggles to come to terms with their loss.
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