The Late Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, who died on Tuesday, November 5, after a brief illness in Lagos, was honoured yesterday in the state, and at the same time in Abuja.....See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The military high command, on Thursday, paid their last respect to the late Chief of Army Staff.
Lagbja’s corpse later departed for Abuja shortly after top military personnel and other dignitaries, including the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and other dignitaries paid their last respects in his honour at the Air Force wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja.
The body, which was brought from a mortuary in the state, arrived at the Nigerian Air Force wing in a cream-coloured SUV hearse at exactly 9 am.
It was thereafter received by soldiers of the Guards Brigade who held a military parade on the strip of the Air Force wing.
At exactly 10 am, the body was taken out of the hearse and placed on a trolley as top military officials numbering six slowly moved it into the C-130H NAF aircraft at exactly 10:32 am.
The corpse was airlifted by the 301 heavy airlift crew at 11:45 am.
At the Lagos end, the ceremony lasted for close to two hours and was also attended by representatives of the military wives association and some members of the deceased’s family.
His remains later arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at exactly 12:16 pm, in preparation for his final interment.
Upon arrival at the Abuja airport, a guard of honour was accorded the body, with top military officers on the ground to receive it.
The deceased, according to the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, would be buried at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja today (Friday).
A service of songs was held in his honour in Abuja, on Thursday.