Armed Forces Remembrance Day: Atiku Salutes Nigerian Troops
By: Abudu Olalekan
January 15 arrived again, quiet and heavy. Across the country, people stopped for a moment. Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar was among them.
From his verified X account on Thursday, he shared a short, heartfelt message. No long speeches. Just straight words of respect.
“Today, my family and I join millions of Nigerians in solemn remembrance and deep gratitude to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces,” he wrote.
He didn’t stop there. Atiku specially honoured those who paid the ultimate price. The ones who never came home. He called it the supreme sacrifice. Then he turned to the soldiers still out there—on the front lines, in the forests, in troubled communities—saluting their courage, discipline, and the stubborn commitment they keep showing.
It’s easy to forget sometimes. But these men and women, serving and retired, are the reason we still have a country to call ours. Their selflessness, Atiku said, constantly reminds us that Nigeria’s freedom didn’t come cheap.
He ended with simple thanks. To those who served long ago. To those still wearing the uniform. To the veterans quietly carrying scars most people never see.
Armed Forces Remembrance Day isn’t just another public holiday. Every January 15, Nigeria remembers the soldiers who fell in the two World Wars, during the Civil War, in peacekeeping missions across Africa, and in countless internal security operations since then.
You see the wreath-laying at the National Arcade in Abuja. Military parades. The slow, mournful sound of the Last Post echoing across barracks and towns. Families in black, some holding old photographs. It’s solemn. Sometimes tearful.
For many, the day is also a chance to say a proper thank you—to serving officers still risking their lives daily and to veterans whose stories rarely make headlines anymore.
Atiku’s message, short as it was, struck a chord with plenty of Nigerians scrolling that morning. In a year full of politics and noise, this felt different. A former politician putting aside partisanship, just to acknowledge the price paid by others.
Because behind every uniform is a story. And behind many of those stories is a grave—or a quiet life changed forever.
