No Acting Chief of Army Staff Appointed DHQ Confirms

The Defense Headquarters has announced that it has not appointed an acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS). This comes after false reports circulated online about the supposed death of the current COAS, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.

Contrary to these rumours, the Nigerian Army has clarified that Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja is on leave for medical check-ups abroad. Before he left, he arranged for Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), to temporarily oversee his duties. This step ensures that there is no gap in military leadership.

The Defense Headquarters explained that Major General Ibrahim is only tasked with updating the COAS as usual and has not been appointed as acting COAS a role that does not exist within the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

The statement from Brig-Gen. Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information, also corrected misinformation about Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja’s health, confirms that he is alive and well. It urged media outlets to check their facts before publishing and warned against spreading false news that can cause public disturbance.