MILITARY COUP? Why Tinubu, Army Refused To Announce Lagbaja’s Death Since October- Jackson Ude
Independent journalist Jackson Ude, a former aide to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan, has publicly challenged the official account of the death of Nigeria’ s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. This criticism follows President Bola Tinubu’ s announcement that Lagbaja passed away on November 5. Ude claims that the Army Chief actually died weeks earlier, on October 17, in a hospital in the United States.
In a post on the social media platform X, Ude outlined his perspective on the events surrounding Lagbaja’ s death, asserting that the Army Chief had traveled abroad for medical treatment prior to his demise. According to Ude, Lagbaja initially flew to Germany after being diagnosed with cancer. Following a medical evaluation, doctors in Germany reportedly recommended that he seek further treatment in the United States, where he ultimately succumbed to the disease on October 17.
Ude also mentioned that he had initially reported Lagbaja’ s death on October 20, but the Nigerian Army dismissed his claims as ” fake news” and allegedly threatened him with arrest. He noted that he faced significant online backlash, as the military purportedly enlisted individuals on social media to undermine his credibility and challenge his reporting.
The reported death of Lagbaja has led to notable disruptions within both the presidency and the military. According to Ude, the Army Chief’ s passing coincided with President Tinubu being on vacation in London, creating a politically delicate situation that necessitated careful management due to various security implications.
Ude indicated that the Nigerian Intelligence Agency had advised against making the death public immediately, citing concerns that it could heighten security risks, particularly in light of rising tensions with Niger Republic and fears of a potential coup.
In response to these security considerations, it is alleged that President Tinubu took swift action, cutting his trip short and enacting significant changes within the military leadership. This included the retirement of several high- ranking military officials and the appointment of an acting Chief of Army Staff, who has since been confirmed in the role.
Ude’ s revelations and the discrepancies between his account and the official narrative raise critical questions about the transparency of information within Nigeria’ s military and government. As the situation continues to develop, the implications of Lagbaja’ s death and its management are likely to remain a topic of significant public interest and scrutiny, potentially affecting the stability of Nigeria’ s military leadership.
