Ife Adebayo: Remembering the gallant men of the Nigerian Armed Forces

by Ife Adebayo

File photo
File photo

Oga Eskay’s last BlackBerry Messenger update a night before he was killed by Boko Haram was “selfless service”; truly he continued to serve until he breathed his last.

Nigeria is at war. I know this; you probably know this because the whole world is talking about it. When a nation is at war, the importance of its Armed Forces becomes obvious and glaring; this is even more important when you have fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and friends in the Armed Forces. When a friend chats you up to say “I have been posted to the North East”, and the realization that he, like many others before him, might just not return hits you.

Nigeria has been battling the terrorist group Boko Haram for some years now, the battle has taken its toll on the men of our armed forces and those of us with brothers and friends in the line of fire know exactly what it means to be at war. This isn’t just another war to me; it is personal, as at my last count, I personally know about 10 young military officers currently in the frontlines fighting against Boko Haram. For me, with each news of “Boko Haram attacks Gombi” or “Boko Haram takes over Baga”, it is a horror that knocks right at my door because any of the military casualties could just be one of my brothers.

I have lost 2 friends who were members of our Armed Forces to the Boko Haram war. Therefore to me this war is right in my bedroom. One of these men was not just my friend; he was my brother, my mentor, someone I have looked up to from Secondary School. When another mutual friend called me to inform me of his death I was distraught, I desperately made calls to our friends in the Armed Forces and hoped it was just a rumor, I desperately wished and hoped it was a case of mistaken identity or that he was just wounded, but call after call all I got was a confirmation, all I got was silence from friends who couldn’t tell me it was true.

This soldier, a gentleman officer, is survived by a young beautiful wife and 3 children, his youngest child is just 1 year old, his oldest child is 5 years old, and when I spoke with his wife on Christmas day to let her know her husband did not die in vain I could literally feel the pain in her voice; I could hear the ache in her sighs. Her husband, Major S.K. Umaru (Oga Eskay like I call him) will not come back home. He has gone, gone to war, never to come back. He has made the supreme sacrifice, paid the ultimate price, so that you and I may live, he gave his today for our tomorrow.

Oga Eskay’s story is just one of many, I have heard of soldiers killed just 2 weeks to their wedding, some killed just 2 weeks after their wedding, some leaving young pregnant wives behind. Young men whose lives had just started, but they chose to give it all up for what they believed in, they gave it all up for Nigeria. January 15th was the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day. A day for Nigerians to appreciate the sacrifices that our soldiers make for us, a member of the Armed Forces sent this me on that day, it brought tears to my eyes, it read:

We are Soldiers! We fight to create peace! We speak to give silence! We train to get fit! We kill to live, we live to kill! Confidence and respect is not sold in the World Trade Centre, it’s earned by us. Who else could challenge in the face of death if not we! We do not see death as a threat, it’s an obstacle we’ll cross so as to be a valiant compatriot whose name will never be washed away in the face of a million floods. Our home is away, our doll is the gun. What else could be so exciting than to defend your Fatherland? Though it seems we have no future, but it’s sure we give the future. Not only that, but also hope. We suppress those who oppress, to impress the depressed. Field we sleep, sea we sail, sky we fly, to tread on the wings of the octopus and give peace to our people. We will fight till we die, sail till we sink, fly till we crash to restore anomie to normality. Three in one, we stand as one, and together; we shall build a great nation! God bless the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Happy Armed Forces Remembrance Day!

Nigerians need to understand that even though we might sometimes question the actions of some members of the Armed Forces, most of our men and officers in uniform are men of valour, valiant soldiers, respectful, disciplined, gallant, smart, patriotic and willing to give anything for Nigeria.  Oga Eskay’s last BlackBerry Messenger update a night before he was killed by Boko Haram was “selfless service”; truly he continued to serve until he breathed his last. I know Oga Eskay, if he were to come to this world again he would be a soldier again, he will do this again for Nigeria, just because that is who he is, that is what he has always been, a fearless soldier.

For him and the many soldiers we have lost in various battles I will like to say THANK YOU. Your sacrifice will not be vain, Nigeria will not forget, WE WILL REMAIN FOREVER GRATEFUL.

Adieu my oga, my friend, my mentor, my godfather! My loyalty remains unshakeable sir. As a mutual friend said on the day you died “what more can I say… for your kids I will not cease to tell them how great a man you were, you stood for us and we will stand for them”. I just went to your Facebook page again to get that quote right sir, and seeing your picture there brought tears to my eyes again, it is still unbelievable that you are gone. Rest in Peace sir, till we meet to part no more… and for you and all our brothers at arms who have paid the supreme price, we say WE WILL NEVER FORGET. May God grant us speedy victory against our enemies.

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Ife Adebayo is an IT Consultant with work experience in Germany, United Kingdom and Nigeria. He currently runs his own IT firm in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an ardent believer in the Nigerian project and encourages all Nigerians to become actively involved in making Nigeria a better place.

Ife is a registered member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Epe Local Government, Lagos State. He was an active member of the UK branch of the party, holding the post of Youth Leader for the year 2010/2011.

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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