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Army debunks COAS death rumours, retires 15 Generals
The Nigerian Army on Sunday debunked reports circulating in the media that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, has died.
Several reports originating from a social media post by a Nigerian journalist announcing the death of the Army chief went viral on Sunday.
The journalist claimed that Lagbaja had died of cancer 48 hours ago.
The post read, “The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, has died.
Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago from stage three cancer, according to a senior government official.
“The death of the Chief of Army Staff has been kept secret because of intense lobbying by some Generals who want to take the position.
“Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, as the 27th Chief of Army Staff.
”Reacting to the post on X, the Nigerian Army marked it as fake news.
However, sources at the Army Headquarters confirmed to newsmen that the army chief was critically ill.
One of the sources said, “COAS is not dead. He is only critically ill at the moment.
We should be praying for him at this critical time and not spreading rumours that he died.
”Another source said he was out of the country to treat himself.
“He is out of the country for treatment.
And I have not heard of his death from anyone around him.
There is no way such information could be hidden,” the source said.
The phone number of the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, indicated it was switched off.
He was yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.
The development came as no fewer than 15 Generals of the Nigerian Army bowed out of service.
The retired Generals are from the Artillery Corps of the Service.
The Artillery Corps delivers heavy firepower support to allied forces positioned at the front lines of the battlefield.
In a post on X, the Nigerian Army said the retired officers consist of 11 Major Generals and four Brigadier Generals.
The post added that the retired generals were pulled out of the service at a ceremony held at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery in Kaduna State.
It read, “The Nigerian Army formally pulled out 15 retired Generals from the Artillery Corps on Saturday, October 19, 2024, during a ceremony at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery in Kachia, Kaduna State.
The group of retirees included 11 Major Generals and 4 Brigadier Generals.
”Speaking on behalf of the retired officers during the pulling-out parade, Maj Gen James Myam (retd) reflected on their long military careers, expressing fulfilment and gratitude.
“He attributed their success to divine grace, acknowledging God’s protection throughout their years of service.
He also extended his appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, wishing him continued strength and wisdom in his leadership of the NA.
“Looking back, Maj Gen Myam recalled the beginning of their military journeys when they reported to the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna as Officer Cadets.
“He offered advice to the officers still in service, urging them to remain loyal to the constitution and the democratically elected government while maintaining vigilance and security consciousness.
“The retired general also expressed gratitude to the families, spouses, friends, instructors, and mentors who supported them throughout their careers.
“The event was attended by several senior retired and serving military officers, including former Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Alwali Kazir (retd),” the statement added.
News
JUST IN: Tinubu Departs Paris for Nigeria After Extended Vacation
President Bola Tinubu has ended his working vacation in Europe and departed Paris for Nigeria on Tuesday, with his aircraft expected to land at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos later in the evening.
The announcement was made by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for what was initially billed as a three-week working vacation.
He spent one week in London before proceeding to Paris. The trip was later extended, bringing his total time abroad to about 30 days.
The President chose to return through Lagos rather than Abuja to honour the memory of the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
On Independence Day, October 1, he is scheduled to attend the premiere of a movie celebrating Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.
While in Lagos, Tinubu will hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify. He is expected to return to Abuja after those engagements.
During his stay in Paris, the President attended a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and held meetings with business leaders, including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group.
He also met with First Holdings Chairman Femi Otedola and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a deep seaport and Blue Marine Economic Zone.
News
National Assembly Plans to Translate Laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba
The National Assembly plans to translate Nigerian laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other indigenous languages as part of a broader effort to digitise parliamentary records and make legislation more accessible to citizens.
Henry Nwawuba, Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, announced the initiative on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the 2026 National Assembly Library Week. The event was themed “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People.”
Nwawuba said the translation would help more Nigerians, especially those not proficient in English, understand the laws that affect their daily lives. He described the library as the knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of its institutional memory.
The move forms part of a digital overhaul that includes upgrading the e-library, creating electronic repositories, developing a National Assembly Library mobile application, and introducing a Bills Tracker to allow the public to monitor the progress of proposed laws in real time.
The library will also produce infographics, audiovisual materials and short video explainers to simplify bills, Acts and legislative procedures. Officials said the upgrades would help curb the spread of fake or unverified legislative documents online.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Osita Ngwu, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, both stressed the need for lawmakers to use the digital tools while prioritising cybersecurity.
News
BREAKING: Court Order Threatens Dangote Kenya Refinery Launch
A Kenyan court order requiring parties to maintain the status quo on disputed land has cast uncertainty over the planned groundbreaking of Aliko Dangote’s multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in Lamu, scheduled for Wednesday, September 30.
The Malindi Environment and Land Court, in an order dated September 25 and made public this week, directed that the existing situation on Land Reference No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area be preserved until a hearing on October 14. The order followed a petition by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who claim the land is ancestral property their families have occupied, farmed and developed for generations. They allege inadequate recognition, compensation and resettlement in the acquisition process.
Judge Jane Onyango declined to certify the application as fully urgent in a way that would explicitly cancel the ceremony and refused a separate request to restrain the Office of the President, Dangote Industries, the Lamu County Government and other respondents from proceeding with the groundbreaking. However, the status quo directive bars clearing, excavation, fencing, demolition, construction or other interference with occupied portions of the land in the interim.
Dangote Group said the ruling has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony itself. “The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage. However, activities at the site may be affected by the ruling as both parties are required not to carry activities until the case is heard on 14th October,” the company stated.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi confirmed the ceremony would proceed as planned. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, downplayed the development while speaking to investors in Nairobi, describing such legal challenges as “normal for us in Africa” and comparing it to past disputes elsewhere on the continent. He insisted the project would continue.
The proposed facility is a 700,000-barrel-per-day greenfield oil refinery and petrochemical complex estimated to cost $15–16 billion (roughly Ksh2 trillion). It is intended to process crude from Kenya’s Lokichar fields and other East African sources, reduce the region’s heavy reliance on imported fuels, create jobs and support industrialisation. President William Ruto is expected to attend the ceremony alongside Dangote. Heavy equipment has already begun arriving at the Port of Lamu.
The case returns to court on October 14, when respondents will have the opportunity to file responses and the matter will be heard inter partes. Until then, the legal constraint on site activities remains in force even as organisers press ahead with the ceremonial launch.
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