Taoreed Lagbaja Biography, Early Life, Wife and Net Worth

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja was born in the town of Ilobu

Early Years

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja was born in the town of Ilobu, a town in Irepodun. Irepodun is in present-day Osun State, Nigeria.

He spent his early years in Osogbo, Osun State, where he attended St. Charles Grammar School.

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan from 1984 to 1986. There, he obtained a West African School Certificate (Advanced Level).

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Career

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja’s journey into the Nigerian military started with his admission to Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in 1987.

A member of the 39th Regular Course, he marked out himself through his dedication, resilience and focus required in military training.

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on September 19, 1992, formally joining the Nigerian Infantry Corps.

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja was a platoon commander of the 93 Battalion. Dating from 1995 to 2001, he was platoon commander of 72 Special Forces Battalion.

Lagbaja obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 2001. He studied Strategic Studies at the US Army War College at the Master’s level.

Lagbaja was General Officer Commanding Headquarters 82 Division from March 2021 to August 2022 and Headquarters 1 Division from August 2022 to June 2023.

He rose to the highest office in his career in June 19, 2023 when he was appointed as the Chief Of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu.

An office he held for 505 days before dying of a brief illness in Lagos. The illness is still undisclosed

Wife and Children

Lt. General Lagbaja was a devoted family man.

He married Mrs. Mariya Abiodun Lagbaja. His marriage to Mariya was a major shift for his personal life, providing stability and support despite the demands of his military career.

Together, they shared a deep bond, built on mutual respect and shared values. Happily married to Mrs Mariya Abiodun-Lagbaja and the marriage is blessed with three children.

Net Worth

The late Chief Of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja is said to be allegedly worth $400,000.

As a high-ranking military officer, he certainly earned the financial benefits that came with his position, including allowances and other entitlements associated with the office of the Chief of Army Staff

Legacy As Chief of Staff

As COAS, Lagbaja consistently stayed close to the field of operations, a practice that significantly motivated frontline troops.

In many instances, he was seen leading Junior military officers on the field.

He also made frequent visits to conflict and w@r zones. He demonstrated his commitment and increased morale among the soldiers, encouraging them through his active presence and support.

During the visits, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja engaged with the troops directly, connecting on a personal level to uplift their spirits and inspire them to perform their duties.

Also, under his leadership, airlifting frontline troops on annual leave to their destinations across the country became more regular.

In addition, General Lagbaja brought to life a long-envisioned goal of the Nigerian Army to have an aviation wing within the service to provide essential air support for ground operations.

During his tenure, the Nigerian Army made significant wins in the f!ght against t*rr0rism.

While serving as the COAS, the army was credited with a remarkable elimination of over 300 t£rr0rist commanders, while many other m!l!tants surrendered to government forces.