On 15th January, soldiers killed or injured to preserve the nation’s unity were remembered through tributes and a wreath-laying ceremony by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, and the Service Chiefs namely: Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas.
The ceremony which was held at the National Military Cenotaph in Abuja also served as an occasion to honour the war veterans who fought during the First and Second World Wars, Nigeria’s civil war, and to also celebrate the gallantry of ex-service men and women and their families.
In recent years, Nigeria’s Remembrance Days also highlight those who lost their lives during the on-going insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria. It will be recalled that in November 2018, several soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base in Metele, Borno State. Similarly, earlier this year, five air-force officers died when their helicopter crashed during air combat support to troops of the 145 Battalion in Damasak in Borno State. Speaking during the funeral services held for the five airmen at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja, the Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal, Abubakar said: “There can be no better consolation than the knowledge that the nation grieves with you on the loss of these patriotic Nigerians, who paid the supreme price in the course of their duty to the fatherland.”
A similar sentiment was on display during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day held on Tuesday. The loss of Nigeria’s soldiers during the fight for unity, peace and territorial integrity also brought into sharp focus, the canvass for more attention to be paid to the widows and dependants of the fallen heroes, ex-service men and women and the nation’s duty towards them.