Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, the elder in the family of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has expressed deep regret over helping him join the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
Pa Tajudeen, who is the younger brother of the late General’s father, said that if he had known the risks, he would not have purchased the NDA form for him.
In an interview with newsmen, Pa Tajudeen shared his grief and spoke about the sadness the family is facing.
“Everyone who is born must die. We give glory to God. The year that I obtained NDA form for him, if I had known that he would die before me, I would not have done so. I regret obtaining the form for him. But it is destiny,” he said.
Some family members believe that the General’s sudden death might be linked to a land dispute in Ilobu, Osun State, where representatives from the Nigerian Army had shown interest in building a hospital. The land dispute, they suspect, could have involved harmful acts aimed at him.
Remembering the late General, Pa Tajudeen spoke with pride about his contributions to the community. “He constructed a borehole in his father’s compound and other places in the community. The death that killed Taoreed Lagbaja ought to take me. I took him as one of my children. We are greatly bereaved, we are sad,”
In a show of respect, several institutions and officials have expressed their condolences, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has directed officers to wear black armbands for seven days in memory of Lt. Gen. Lagbaja.
