General Lagbaja: Meet Nigeria’s new Army Chief with ‘Uncommon Hobbies’
AREWA AGENDA – In a major security shake up, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday appointed Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, as the new Chief of Army Staff, COAS.
Lagbaja replaces Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021, after the untimely death of Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru.
Below is the profile of the new COAS.
EARLY LIFE
Maj Gen. Lagbaja was born in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, Osun State on 28 February 1968. He attended Local Authority Teachers College Demonstration School Osogbo between 1973 – 1979 and later St Charles Grammar School, Osogbo from 1979 – 1984. The new COAS also attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan from 1984 to 1986 and obtained West African School Certificate (Advanced Level).
He was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy on 12 September 1987 as a member of 39th Regular Course and commissioned as 2nd Lt. on 19 September 1992 into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps.
COURSES ATTENDED
The new COAS attended many courses both locally and overseas. These include; Company Amphibious Operations Course – Amphibious Training School (May – June 1993), – C.
b. Young Officers’ Course (Infantry) – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (September – December 1993). – C; Basic Airborne Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (March – April 1995),– Not Graded; Advanced Airborne Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (November – December 1995). – Not Graded; Amphibious Staff Operations Course – Amphibious Training School (September – December 1997), – C; Company Commanders’ Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (February – May 2003), – C+; Battalion Commanders’ Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (September – December 2009), – B and Junior Staff Course – Armed Forces Command and Staff (May – December 2000),– C+
Others are; Senior Staff Course – Armed Forces Command and Staff (August 2005 – July 2006), – C+; Military Observers Course – Peacekeeping Wing Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji (February – May 2008), – B; ECOWAS Standby Force Battalion Command Post Course – Peacekeeping Centre, Bamako, Mali – (June – August 2010), – Not Graded and Strategy and Leadership Course – US Army War College (April 2003 – June 2014). – Not Graded
COMMAND/STAFF/INSTRUCTIONAL APPOINTMENTS
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His various commands and instructional appointments are; Platoon Commander of 93 Battalion – 1992 – 1995; 72 Special Forces Battalion – 1995 – 2001 as a Platoon commander; Nigerian Defence Academy – 2001 – 2004 as an Instructor; Army Headquarters Department of Army Training and Operations – 2004 – Grade 2 Staff Officer in charge of peacekeeping; Armed Forces Command and Staff College – July 2005 – February 2006 – Grade 2 Staff Officer in charge of training; Armed Forces Command and Staff College – 2006 – 2009 – Directing Staff; Headquarters 81 Division – 2009 – 2012 – Deputy Chief of Staff G1 (Administration); and 72 Special Forces Battalion Makurdi – 2012 – 2013 and 2014 – 2015 –Commanding Officer.
Others included; Headquarters 8 Task Force Division Monguno – 2016 – 2017 – Chief of Staff; Army Headquarters Department of Army Training and Operations – January – December 2018 – Acting Director of Operations; Headquarters 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos State – December 2018 – April 2019 – Commander; Headquarters 2 Brigade, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State – April 2019 – January 2020 – Commander; Army Headquarters Department of Army Training and Operations – January 2020 – March 2021 – Director Force Generation; Headquarters 82 Division – March 2021 – August 2022 – General Officer Commanding and Headquarters 1 Division – August 2022 – Date – General Officer Commanding.
PROMOTION HISTORY
His timeline promotional history showed that he was Second Lieutenant – 12 September 1987; Lieutenant – 12 September 1991; Captain – 12 September 1995; Major – 12 September 2000; Lieutenant Colonel – 12 September 2005; Colonel – 12 September 2010; Brigadier General – 12 September 2015 and Major General – 12 September 2019.
HONOURS/AWARDS
Lagbaja have several awards to his name . They included; Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, Passed Staff Course (+), Fellows United States Army War College, Command Medal, Field Command Medal, Field Command Medal of Honour, General Operations Medal, Operation Harmony Medal, United Nations Peacekeeping Operation Medal and Operation LAFIYA DOLE Medal.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
He bagged Bsc Geography from Nigerian Defence Academy (2001) and Msc Strategic Studies fromUS Army War College (2014).
OPERATIONS PARTICIPATED
The COAS participated in many military operations including, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi Peninsula – January 1996 – June 2000, United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) – 2004 – 2005, Operation ZAKI – September 2012 – April 2013/July 2014 – December 2015 – Internal Security Operation in Benue State, Operation LAFIYA DOLE – December 2015 – January 2018, Operation MESA/Operation UDO KA – March 2021 – August 2022 – Internal Security Operation in South East Zone Nigeria (Anambra/Abia/Ebonyi/Enugu and Imo States) and Operation FOREST SANITY – Aug 2022 – Date – Internal Security Operation in Kaduna/Niger States.
MARITAL STATUS
Happily married to Mrs Mariya Abiodun-Lagbaja and the marriage is blessed with two children.
HOBBIES
Watching documentary and reading biographies.
By PRNigeria
