President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has conferred a post-homous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
The President made the declaration on Friday, during the interment in honour of the late COAS at the National Cemetery in Mogadishu, Abuja.
Tinubu extoled the virtues of the late warrior, eulogising his contributions to national security.
According to him, the appointment of Lagbaja as the COAS was one of his finest made so far.
The event had in attendance Vice President Kashima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Defence Minister, governors and top military officials.
Last week, Tinubu announced Lagbaja’s death, saying the late COAS passed away in Lagos after a period of illness.
Born on February 28, 1968, Lagbaja served as the Chief of Army Staff for one year and four months. President Tinubu appointed him to the role in June 2023.
He played pivotal roles in numerous internal security operations, including Operation ZAKI in Benue State, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in Southeast Nigeria, and Operation Forest Sanity across Kaduna and Niger States.