Nigeria on Thursday held the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Parade and Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the National Arcade in Abuja, as top government officials, military leaders, and members of the diplomatic community gathered to honour fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price in service to the nation.
In attendance were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Minister of Defence General Christopher Musa (Rtd), and several other dignitaries.
Led in a solemn procession by soldiers, the dignitaries marched to the cenotaph, where they laid wreaths in remembrance of men and women of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in defence of Nigeria’s unity and global peace.
The ceremony featured interdenominational prayers for both the living and fallen heroes who fought gallantly for national integration and international peace.
The prayers were led by the Director of Chaplain Services (Protestants), Nigerian Army, Colonel Rev. B. P. Nyam; followed by the Director of Islamic Affairs, Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain H. Idris; and concluded by the Director of Chaplain Services (Roman Catholic), Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Very Rev. Fr. R. C. Diala.
A minute of silence was observed in honour of the fallen, immediately followed by the firing of an artillery gun in their memory.
The wreath-laying ceremony then commenced at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Vice President Shettima led the exercise, laying the first wreath, accompanied by the Commander of the Guards Brigade, Brigadier General Adebisi Onasanya.
He was followed by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, laid the next wreath, after which the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Abbas Salaheeden, High Commissioner of the Republic of Cameroon, paid their respects.
Also laying wreaths were the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, and the Inspector General of Police, in tribute to fallen personnel across the security services.
The Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration is observed annually on January 15. The occasion honours Nigerian veterans of the First and Second World Wars, the Nigerian Civil War, and all members of the Armed Forces who have served—and continue to serve—in defence of the nation.
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