Armed Forces Remembrance Day: What Nigerians say

By Femi Oyelola

January 15 has been set aside as a day to  commemorate the nation’s fallen heroes as well as honour the living veterans. It is popularly known as Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

On thay date every year, a solemn gathering takes place at the cenotaph of the “unknown soldier,” where security chiefs, political leaders, members of the Nigerian legion, and other stakeholders come together to pay tributes to the officers and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the battlefield or in peace keeping operations.

A cenotaph is a solemn memorial that pays tribute to individuals or a collective, even though their physical remains rest elsewhere. It serves as a powerful symbol of remembrance and respect.

It can also serve as the original burial place for an individual who has later been laid to rest in a different location. Many soldiers who lose their lives in war are laid to rest on the battlefield, which is why cenotaphs are necessary. Cenotaphs can be found in every state in Nigeria, including the FCT Abuja.

On that day in Nigeria,  wreaths are laid in that solemn ceremony devoidnof any speech making. A wreath is a beautiful arrangement of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or other materials that is carefully crafted into a circular shape. It is then placed as a symbol of respect and tribute to the unidentified soldier at the Cenotaph.

The 2025 Armed Firces Remembrance Day gollowed that same trajectory as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led other top government functionaries to the National Arcade, Abuja to pay tributes to the fallen heroes and honor the living veterans.

President Tinubu used the occasion to call on Nigerians to renounce violence and divisive tendencies, stressing the importance of unity and prosperity for the country.

He reminded citizens that the relative peace they enjoy is due to the sacrifice of the men and women of the Armed Forces who have laid down — and continue to lay down — their lives to ensure Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

He said, “Let us eschew violence and divisive tendencies for a peaceful and prosperous nation. Let us all become ambassadors of peace.

“We can build a future of hope and optimism together, where peace and unity reign supreme. Thank you, and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Tinubu who was represented at the wreath laying ceremony by Vice President Kashim Shettima noted that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day allows the nation to express its gratitude and pay tribute to “our ex-servicemen and women who selflessly sacrificed their lives to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and other nations.”

“Our nation is in dire need of peace, and so is the world. As we mark this solemn event today, remember that people laid down their lives, and many still do so, to guarantee our peaceful co-existence,” he added.

Similarly, Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani Said the sacrifices of the fallen will never be forgotten, and we will continue to honor their memory.”

Speaking at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony held at the main bowl of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, he reaffirmed his Administration’s commitment to supporting the Military in their efforts to ensure peace and security in the State.

Governor Sani emphasized that security was a collective effort and pledged to continue supporting the military and other security agencies to achieve a peaceful and secure state.

He said, “We are here to remember our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the peace and security of the nation. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten, and we will continue to honor their memory.

“We commend the military for their efforts in tackling insecurity in Kaduna and Nigeria. Their bravery and sacrifice are appreciated, and we will continue to support them.

“We will continue to support the military and other security agencies in their efforts to ensure peace and security in Kaduna State.

“We believe that security is a collective effort, and we will continue to work together to achieve our goal of a peaceful and secure state.”

While commending the givernments for their efforts in supporting the families of the fallen heroes and the licing veterans, many Nigerians are, however, of the opinion that the military heroes should better be celebrated while alive and not in their graves.

They stressed that the fallen heroes must be forever remembered because of the supreme sacrifice they made particularly during the Nigerian Civil War.

“The gallant fighters lost their lives on the battlefield without a farewell to their families and other dependants, and many who did not die became maimed. They suffered from mental degradation and all other forms of evils of war.

“While remembering the Fallen Heroes today, we must, as a matter of responsibility, remember their dependants, their children, the aged, and those ex-servicemen who had been maimed in the course of defending their fatherland”.

The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, is one of the Nigerians championing the cause of celebrating the heroes while they are still alive.

He appealed to the civil populace, especially private school proprietors, to assist the children of the deceased soldiers by awarding scholarships to them as a way to cushion the effects of the loss of their breadwinners.

He said, “Beyond the annual observance there is a need to focus on the significance of the fallen heroes who sacrificed and laid down their lives for others for the peace and continued existence of our country, Nigeria as one entity,” noting that “the sacrifice is the highest form of patriotism for which we can never repay them enough.”

“Patriotism is the love of one’s country. These Nigerians we are remembering today love Nigeria unto death,” he added and asserted that “we have various contributions to make to demonstrate our love for Nigeria.”

Uzodimma said: “Nigerians need to do all within their powers to support the families of the departed gallant soldiers.The support could be physical, through monetary assistance; emotional, through kind words of consolations and encouragement, hence the need to be with them, to reassure them that their husbands and fathers did not die in vain.”

He saluted Faith-based organizations and other Non-Governmental Organisations who have been faithful in offering support, assistance, and succor to the families of the departed soldiers and appealed that they should not limit their assistance to the Armed Forces Remembrance Day only, “but rather extend help whenever we have the resources.”

Uzodimma said that such selfless responsibilities are always rewarded by  God who sees in the secret.

Similarly, a security expert, Dr Yahuza Getso, observed that It is more rewarding to celebrate the military and members of the security agencies for their contributions and sacrifices while they are alive, and not when they are dead.

According to him, it is unjust to remember fallen heroes, as the yearly Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration represents, but to also put in place a more enduring measure of acknowledging and celebrating officers and men in active service for their gallantry.

He, therefore, tasked the government at all levels to ensure that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day is not just an annual event but there must be plans available to celebrate and reward the heroes while they are still alive.

Corroborating this, WO2 Shaibu Dairu (Retd), surmised that while the annual ceremony held to pay tributes to the fallen heroes is a welcome development, the plight of those still alive should also take a front position in the government plans.

This, according to him, will boost the morale of the troops while alive, knowing that either in graves or alive, their sacrifices are not in vain.

Also reacting to this the National President of the Military Widows Association, Ese-Okiti, urged the Federal Government to expedite a tion on life insurance claims for its members who lost their husbands in action.

She explained, “Life insurance is the only thing we are fighting for now. They’ve paid some army people, Navy and Air Force, and some army people are still waiting for their own, and they have assured us that they will pay very soon.

“For anyone who has a problem getting their entitlements, we push the paper forward and go to the authorities to find out. It has stages; it’s not like immediately your husband dies; they will give you the entitlement.

“There are some records they follow; the next of kin, who is to collect what. They will prepare the paper, and when it is time, they will give it to you.”