Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration held today, Wednesday, at the National Arcade in Abuja, as Nigeria honoured its fallen military heroes.
The annual event, marking the end of the Nigerian Civil War on January 15, 1970, commemorates service members who died in the World Wars, the Nigerian Civil War, peace support missions, and internal security operations. Previously observed on November 11 in line with Commonwealth nations, Nigeria changed the date to align with the Civil War’s end.

Vice President Shettima, accompanied by the Commander of the Guards Brigade, stood in for President Tinubu, who is attending the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2025) in the United Arab Emirates.
The President departed Abuja last Saturday to participate in the 2025 edition of Sustainability Week (ADSW 2025) taking place in Abu Dhabi.
The ceremony drew top government officials, including Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, service chiefs, and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
Speaking at the Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day Lecture and Art Exhibition 2025, held yesterday, the former Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor challenged common perceptions about military involvement in Nigeria’s governance. Irabor argued that the armed forces were the primary victims of military rule, noting that past military interventions were actions of individuals rather than institutional decisions.
“Military-political leadership of the country is by a select group of individuals. It must not be construed to be an institutional arrangement,” Irabor stated during his lecture. He stressed that when political power was given to military leaders, both military professionalism and state governance suffered.
Addressing veterans’ welfare, Irabor highlighted healthcare as their most critical need. “The plight of servicemen and women who are wounded or disabled leaves a heartbreaking tale,” he said, noting that current Defence Healthcare Insurance policies are not comprehensive enough. He pointed out that the quality of life for veterans deteriorates daily when compared to inflationary trends.

The former defence chief recommended establishing special support systems for wounded and disabled military personnel, both active and retired. He mentioned ongoing projects including a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder facility and the Invictus Games project, urging their swift completion and proper maintenance.
Irabor, who was the guest lecturer, urged the public to resist narratives that portray the military as working against public interest. “Such a view is deceptive,” he stated, adding that the military maintains disciplinary protocols to address individual misconduct and that institutional challenges are handled through established mechanisms of civil control.
“The military is an instrument of state for upholding the sanctity of the values of the nation. However, in the course of national growth and development, the Nigerian military leadership, at some point in our history, has found itself in the political leadership of the country.”
“Whereas the development is an aberration and not a product of the military institution, it has been a challenge for many elites in the geo-political space to understand that the military itself is the first victim of military rule in Nigeria. In this regard, the resonant narrative, inadvertently or otherwise, deepens the gorge in civil-military relations to the detriment of the state. This must be reversed,” he opined.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senate Committee on Navy Chairman Gbenga Daniel, emphasised that the remembrance day celebration honours a legacy of courage and sacrifice.

“Today we do not only remember our heroes; we celebrate them. We celebrate their resolve, their resilience, and their remarkable contributions to the development and security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Daniel quoted Akpabio as saying.
Other dignitaries at the ceremony included Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu (representing Speaker Tajudeen Abbas), Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, and members of the diplomatic corps.
Meanwhile, the current Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, announced the naming of the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess main auditorium in Asokoro as the “General Lucky Irabor Hall,” recognising the former defence chief’s contributions to the nation.
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7m7dvJuyA7h5XMc22i