Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, the family head of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has expressed deep regret over his decision to support the deceased’s military career by obtaining his Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) admission form.
Pa Tajudeen, who is the younger brother of Lt. General Lagbaja’s father, revealed that he would not have purchased the form if he had known it would eventually lead to his nephew’s untimely death.
In an interview with The Nation, Pa Tajudeen shared his grief, stating, “Everyone who is born must die, and we give glory to God. However, if I had foreseen that Taoreed would pass away before me, I would not have helped him join the army. His death was unexpected and heartbreaking for us. I saw him as one of my own children.”
He also recounted the late general’s contributions to their community, including the construction of boreholes in his father’s compound and other areas in Ilobu, Osun State, where a land dispute had arisen in 2023.
This dispute was reportedly linked to the Nigerian Army’s plans to build a hospital in the area, leading some family members to suspect that Lt. General Lagbaja may have been a victim of diabolical means due to the tensions.
Despite his sorrow, Pa Tajudeen accepted the situation as fate, adding, “The death that took Taoreed Lagbaja should have taken me instead. He was a source of hope for our family, and his loss is a heavy blow. Though all the promises he made to us are now unfulfilled, I am still grateful to God.”
The family remains in mourning over the tragic loss of Lt. General Lagbaja, whose legacy of community service and dedication to his family will not be forgotten.