Profile of Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja, new Chief of Army Staff

Profile of Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja, new Chief of Army Staff

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

The President approved the appointment of the COAS and other Service Chiefs on Monday in a press statement by the Director of Information on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey.

Following the appointment of the new COAS, ThisNigeria gathered a profile and an interesting fact to know about the new Chief of Army Staff.

In his early life, Lagbaja was born on 28 February 1968, in Lobu, Irepodun LGA, Osun State. He attended basics and secondary education in Osogbo between 1973 – 1984. He also bagged Bsc in Geography at the Nigerian Defence Academy in 2001 and also bagged his MSc in Strategic Studies at the US Army War College in 2014.

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He is happily married to Mrs Mariya Abiodun-Lagbaja, and blessed with two children. He loves watching documentaries and reading biographies.

Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja Biography

He also attended some professional courses, which are listed below;

• May – June 1993 | Company Amphibious Operations Course, Amphibious Training School.
• September – December 1993 | Young Officers’ Course (Infantry), Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji.
• March – April 1995 | Basic Airborne Course, Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji.
• November – December 1995 | Advanced Airborne Course, Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji.
• September – December 1997 | Amphibious Staff Operations Course, Amphibious Training School.
• February – May 2003 | Company Commanders’ Course – Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji.
• September – December 2009 | Battalion Commanders’ Course, Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji.
• May – December 2000 | Junior Staff Course, Armed Forces Command and Staff.
• August 2005 – July 2006 | Senior Staff Course, Armed Forces Command and Staff.
• February – May 2008 | Military Observers Course, Peacekeeping Wing Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji
• June – August 2010 | ECOWAS Standby Force Battalion Command Post Course, Peacekeeping Centre, Bamako, Mali.
• April 2003 – June 2014 | Strategy and Leadership Course, US Army War College.

Promotion History

1. Second Lieutenant (12 September 1987)
2. Lieutenant – 12 September 1991.
3. Captain – 12 September 1995.
4. Major – 12 September 2000.
5. Lieutenant Colonel – 12 September 2005.
6. Colonel (12 September 2010)
7. Brigadier General – 12 September 2015.
8. Major General – 12 September 2019.

Honours/Awards

• Command Medal.
• Field Command Medal.
• Field Command Medal of Honour.
• Operation Harmony Medal.
• United Nations Peacekeeping Operation Medal.
• Operation LAFIYA DOLE Medal.
• Forces Service Star.
• Meritorious Service Star.
• Distinguished Service Star.
• Passed Staff Course (+).
• Fellows United States Army War College.
• General Operations Medal.

Operations Participated

• January 1996 – June 2000: Operation HARMONY IV in the Bakassi Peninsula.
• 2004 – 2005: United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).
• September 2012 – April 2013/July 2014 – December 2015: Operation ZAKI – Internal Security Operation in Benue State.
• December 2015 – January 2018: Operation LAFIYA DOLE.
• – March 2021 – August 2022: Operation MESA/Operation UDO KA – Internal Security Operation in South East Zone Nigeria (Anambra/Abia/Ebonyi/Enugu and Imo States).
• Aug 2022 – Date: Operation FOREST SANIT Y– Internal Security Operation in Kaduna/Niger States.