The Nigerian Army said the rumoured death of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, is ‘fake news’.
The Army debunked the rumour via its official X handle on Sunday.
The Army chief was rumoured to have died of cancer in an unnamed foreign hospital.
But tagging an X post containing the claim, the Army said: “fake news”.
Meanwhile, the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu disclosed that the COAS is on leave.
He disclosed that the Army Chief of Policy and Plans, Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalami Ibrahim, would act on behalf of the COAS during his absence.
In a statement on Sunday, Nwachukwu said, “There have even been insinuations that there is a leadership vacuum, with officers confused about what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances.
“Before proceeding on leave, necessary protocols were put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS while he was away.
“Claims of a leadership vacuum in the NA at present are therefore mere speculation, as all routine and scheduled activities of the service are on course.”
