Fallen military heroes deserve more honour than remembrance
Suggestions from political leaders that military personnel who stake their lives to preserve the country should be honoured in life and death cannot come too soon. The Nigerian soldier today is a hero, as he spends his life trying to ward off enemies of the state and enemies of the citizens. He certainly deserves more than the yearly ritual of remembering his sacrifices, often with his life. Nigerians owe the gallant officers and men of the armed forces who sacrificed their lives for a secure, united and prosperous Nigeria debt of gratitude which should be exhibited not only by ceremonial remembrance but also by making concrete efforts to ensure that they did not die in vain.
Among the many calls that were made during this year’s celebration of Armed Forces Remembrance Day, there are two that are significant and deserve serious attention. The first was for concrete actions to assist the families of the dead officers and men, beyond remembering them. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and his Ogun State counterpart, Dapo Abiodun stressed the need to move beyond remembrance to take measures to ensure that the families of the fallen heroes do not suffer.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, at the 2025 AFRD thanksgiving service in Lagos, said true remembrance must be backed by concrete actions to support the dependents that face life without their loved ones. Governor Abiodun at a thanksgiving in Abeokuta earnestly appealed that the welfare of the families of the fallen heroes should not be allowed to rest solely on the shoulders of the Nigerian Legion but should be the responsibility of the people of Nigeria.
The second call was by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State that officers and men of the armed forces should be celebrated while they are alive, not when they are dead. ‘We want to also support strongly those people that they have left behind so that they will know what the government and good people of Rivers State did for them. Let it also be that people will be remembered by the government for taking the right decision for them and helping them to develop to become great in the country,” Fubara said.
These calls are very important. The welfare of the families matters a lot. If Nigerians truly believe that their loved ones died for the country, they have a corresponding responsibility to ensure that the families do not suffer any want. It will greatly encourage the serving military personnel to stand with their country even when they know it is dangerous to do so. The point is that Nigerians should always be made to see their country as worth dying for. As canvassed by Abiodun, it should not be the task of the government alone; individuals, groups, and corporate bodies should make remarkable contributions in this regard.
Another remarkable way to remember the fallen heroes is by crushing those elements, particularly the non-state actors, who cut their lives short. While enlisting in the armed forces, whose primary responsibility is to defend the country against external aggression, the heroes knew that the profession is very risky and that loss of life is one thing that could happen while serving their fatherland, but their untimely deaths should not be a norm. In some cases, they have the option of resigning. Some of them abscond to escape being killed when the battle against the enemies of their country gets very hot. But many are very courageous and will resolve to fight till the end to ensure that the country is secure and the lives of the residents are safe. In the course of doing that, some officers and men lose their lives and their dependents are thrown into the crisis of facing life without their breadwinners.
Indeed, it is a great sacrifice. The gallant soldiers forever deserve respect, recognition and praise. It is on this note that the deceased officers deserve commendation and remembrance as done yearly in the country and other parts of the world. But most importantly, their families deserve more support from the government and the public. They should be well-kept. At this time when the cost of living is high, the education, health and general welfare of the children should not suffer. How the families feed themselves and where they live as shelter should be of serious concern to the government and public-spirited individuals and groups.
The yearly tradition whereby the federal and state governments mark the Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) basically and routinely to express gratitude and pay tribute to the ex-servicemen and women who made the selfless sacrifice of their lives in defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria is very apt. These are courageous military officers who fought gallantly in various battles, including the 1967 to 1970 Nigeria civil war, to defend the unity and corporate existence of the country.
The civil war in which many Nigerian soldiers were killed ended long ago but members of the armed forces are still in other battles in which many officers and men are still being killed. They are fighting terrorists in Boko Haram and ISWAP groups while containing attacks by separatist fighters in the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the South East and militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Indeed, the Nigerian soldiers are embattled, having been drawn into a fight against bandits in the north-central and northwest; deadly kidnappers scattered all over the country and even deadly cultists, at least to support the police whenever necessary.
Military personnel are like other citizens with the desire and aspiration to live long and achieve their life ambitions irrespective of the hazards of their profession. After all, millions of their colleagues retire safely after serving for many years. In other countries, the target is to reduce the number of officers and men who get killed in battles. That should also be the target in Nigeria which has lost many servicemen and women since the beginning of the counter-terrorism fight and various other security challenges.
The government should intensify efforts at ending the insurgency in the northern part of the country and pockets of attacks on military personnel in other areas. Until insurgency and criminality of any sort is fully brought to book, Nigerian soldiers will continue to be the casualty; and the entire country will be the losers. If possible, these criminalities should be terminated no later than this year. There must be finer ways to celebrate military heroes other than extolling them in death. All Nigerians should support calls for adequate assistance to families of the fallen heroes who paid the supreme price for Nigeria to stand and be safe.
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