Tinubu Confers Posthumous CFR Honour On Late COAS Lagbaja

President Bola Tinubu has bestowed a posthumous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.

Naija News reports that Tinubu conferred the honour on Friday, during the funeral service in honour of  Lagbaja, which was held at the National Cemetery in Mogadishu, Abuja.

The event had Vice President Kashima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Defence Minister, governors and top military officials in attendance.

Others include: Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, his counterpart for State, Bello Matawalle; Comptroller-General of Customs, among others, attended the funeral.

President Tinubu praised the virtues of the late COAS, eulogising his contributions to national security.

Tinubu lamented that death took Lagbaja away at a time Nigeria needed him most, saying his memory would linger in the minds of the country and his loved ones.

According to Tinubu, Lagbaja’s appointment as the COAS was one of his best achievements since he assumed the office of the presidency.

He said, “To say farewell to one of Nigeria’s finest Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, this man was made of a fine soul.

“On behalf of a grateful nation that he served with utmost dedication and nobility, I say thank you to him for his long and outstanding service.

“Today is a solemn day for the nation and for me as Commander-in-Chief. On this day, at this place, we lay to rest a true soldier, a general and officer who symbolized the best of his profession and whose commitment to the nation he loved was singular and undiluted.

“For me, he was a trusted adviser whose formidable intellect and breadth of knowledge served this nation well. More than that, he was also a man of prudent action who cared more for his nation and for those who served under him than he ever did for himself.”