President Bola Tinubu on Friday has led the nation in paying final respects to the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who was laid to rest at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, top government officials, senior military officers, and members of the diplomatic corps attended the solemn ceremony.
President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Minister of Defence Badaru Abubakar, and Service chiefs laid wreaths in honour of the general.
Lagbaja’s widow, Mariya, also participated in the ceremony.
In his remarks, the President praised Lagbaja for distinguishing himself as a thoroughbred professional soldier throughout his military career, adding that his legacy of service will be cherished forever.
The President announced the posthumous conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff, which his widow, Mariya, received.
“Today is a solemn day for the nation and for me as Commander-in-Chief, for on this day, at this place, we lay to rest a soldier’s soldier. A General and Officer who symbolised the best of his profession and whose commitment to the nation he loved was singular and undiluted.
“For me, he was a trusted advisor 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.
“Yet, the hand of God works in its own sovereign way. The plans of God we cannot fully discern. At a time when his service to the nation could mean so much, God took him home to serve in His celestial army.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune