Taoreed who took over from Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, who had been redeployed to Defence Headquarters Department of Training and Operations as the Chief Defence Training and Operations assumed office on Friday.
Delivering his farewell speech, Adegboye thanked officers and soldiers for their support during his stay as the GOC of the Division, while calling on them to give the new GOC maximum cooperation.
“I implore you to extend the same cooperation to the new GOC and always be ready for deployment at any time,’” he said.
He noted that during his leadership, the Division did all to keep violence and crime rate low within the Division’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).
According to him “despite the security challenges, we were able to surmount most of them and keep the crime and violence rate low in our AOR”.
“Even as we push forward to ensure we maintain our constitutional mandate in line with the Chief of Army Staff vision for the Nigerian Army,’’ he said.
He urged officers of the army to continue to work in synergy with the Nigeria Air Force, Nigerian Naval and other security formations, adding “that is the way forward’’.
The new GOC did not make comments as he went into a closed door meeting with top officers of the Division.
Highlights of the event were te handing over of the insignia to the new GOC and flag of the Division to Lagbaja as well as inspection of the guard of honour by the two top senior officers.