I regret obtaining NDA form for late Chief of Army Staff Lagbaja – Family Head

Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, the head of the family of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has voiced deep regret over his decision to obtain a Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) form for his nephew, following the COAS’s recent passing. In a heartfelt statement, Pa Tajudeen expressed that he would not have chosen that path if he had known it would lead to such a tragic outcome.

“Everyone who is born must die. We give glory to God. The year that I obtained the NDA form for him, if I had known that he would die before me, I would not have done so. I regret obtaining the form for him. But it is destiny,” he said.

The loss has been a devastating blow for the family, who praised the late COAS for his dedication and contributions to their hometown of Ilobu in Osun State. Pa Tajudeen described Lagbaja as a generous figure within the family and community, noting, “The death that killed Taoreed Lagbaja ought to take me. I took him as one of my children. We are greatly bereaved, we are sad. He constructed a borehole in his father’s compound and other places in the community. We can never forget him, his death is so shocking to us. I have accepted the fate, all the promises he made to me have hit a brick wall. He always gave us hope in the family; despite the sorrow, I give thanks to God.”

Additionally, another family member, identified as Madam Toyin, expressed suspicions that Lagbaja’s death may have involved foul play, potentially tied to a land dispute in their hometown. “Lagbaja was killed diabolically because of a land dispute in the community,” she alleged. It will be recalled that there was a dispute in Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State in 2023, when delegates of the Nigerian Army planned to cite a hospital in the community.

The late Lt. General Lagbaja’s death was publicly announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who reported that the General passed away in Lagos following an illness.