Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, has died at age 56 following an illness.

His passing was announced on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed that the general died on Tuesday night in Lagos.

President Bola Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over Lagbaja’s death, calling it a significant loss to the nation.

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“The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces regrets to announce the passing of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff,” the statement read.

Lagbaja’s military career spanned nearly four decades, marked by dedicated service and leadership.

Born on February 28, 1968, he began his journey in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987.

He was commissioned into the Nigerian Infantry Corps in 1992 and quickly distinguished himself in various roles, including as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

He played key roles in multiple security operations across Nigeria, including Operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Operation Udoka in the Southeast, and Operation Forest Sanity in Kaduna and Niger states, aimed at addressing insurgency and instability in these regions.

Lt. General Lagbaja was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu. He was an alumnus of the U.S. Army War College, where he earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies, showcasing his commitment to both military expertise and academic achievement.

Survived by his wife, Mariya, and two children, Lt. General Lagbaja leaves behind a legacy of service.

President Tinubu extended his condolences to his family and the Armed Forces, honoring him as a patriot and a respected leader whose contributions to Nigeria’s security will be remembered.

With the presidential candidate of the Republican Party in the United States’ November 5 election, Donald Trump, in pole position of returning to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated him.

The Israeli Prime Minister took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday morning to congratulate Trump.

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Netanyahu wrote, “Dear Donald and Melania Trump,

“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!

“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.

“This is a huge victory!

“In true friendship,
“yours,
“Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu”

Following Tuesday’s high-stakes election, former President Donald Trump appears set to return to the White House, with Republicans also on track to secure majorities in both the House and Senate.

Trump’s victories in key battleground states, including Georgia and North Carolina, have moved him closer to the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.

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As of early Wednesday, his lead continues to grow as ballots are counted and media outlets project his advantage across crucial states.

For the third election in a row, the American electorate remains nearly evenly divided over Trump’s polarizing presence.

The race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris has narrowed in several pivotal states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

These three states, which were critical in both Trump’s 2016 victory and President Joe Biden’s win in 2020, once again look poised to determine the outcome.

Current vote patterns in the Rust Belt indicate that Trump may be on the verge of flipping these states back into the Republican column.

In 2016, his victories in these industrial regions disrupted the Democratic “Blue Wall” that had held for six consecutive elections from 1992 to 2012, with a razor-thin margin of about 80,000 votes across the three states.

Four years later, Biden reclaimed them for the Democrats by roughly 260,000 votes.

This time, early returns suggest the Rust Belt may swing back to Trump, bolstered by his renewed support in rural and exurban areas where culturally conservative, non-college-educated white voters continue to dominate.

If Trump holds on to his leads in North Carolina and Georgia and secures Arizona, his path to victory becomes all but certain with just one of the three Rust Belt states tipping in his favor.

Should he succeed, he would become only the second president in U.S. history—following Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s—to lose the presidency and regain it in a later election.

Results as of midnight highlight ongoing trends familiar to Trump’s base and Harris’s supporters alike.

Trump is building strong numbers in smaller towns, rural areas, and exurban counties, while Harris has captured significant—albeit, in some places, diminished—support in affluent, diverse suburbs around Philadelphia, Detroit, and Milwaukee.

A new factor this year is Trump’s modest gains among Black and Latino voters, particularly men, according to exit polls from Edison Research.

These shifts are evident in the former “Blue Wall” states as well as in other key regions.

The overall election landscape, despite Trump’s unique role, underscores the historical challenge of retaining the White House when an outgoing president leaves with low approval ratings.

Since World War II, the White House has often flipped to the opposite party in similar situations, as occurred in 1952, 1968, and 2008.

While popular presidents have not always guaranteed a win for their successors, historically unpopular leaders have presented significant barriers to their parties.