A tribute to the fallen heroes

All over the globe, it is the practise to set aside a day to honour the memory of the gallant members of the armed forces who have paid the ultimate price so that the rest of us may live in peace. These warriors are either someone's father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister. Hence they deserve to be recognised for their sacrifice. The appellation the day is given may vary from country to country but the aim is to remember the fallen heroes who put their lives on the line to ensure our safety and security.

In Nigeria, January 15 annually is marked as the Armed Forces Remembrance Day in honour of the brave and selfless members of the armed forces who have lost their lives in the line of duty to the motherland. The past decade which saw emergence of boko haram with its warped ideology has been one which will not easily be forgotten. The fight against these insurgents in the North East has seen the loss of dedicated service personnel on the battle field.

One of such service personnel whose loss was felt by the entire nation was Lt. Col. Muhammad Abu Ali who until his demise while in active combat service was the Commander of the 272 Taskforce Tank battalion . Fondly called 'Sarkin Yaki' (Warrior Chief) by his comrades in arms due to his exploits on the battle field, he was one who lead his men by example.

It is reported that in the build up to the operation to retake Baga from the insurgents he had reassured the soldiers that he would do 95% of the duties with the tanks. True to his words he did just that and that earned him the respect and admiration of the soldiers which prompted calls for his promotion.

He did all within his power to keep his troops as well as civilians safe while battling the insurgents including putting himself in harm's way. During one of the operations to retake one of the liberated towns, it is reported that he charged head on against the insurgents with his 105 Howitzer battle tank till he ran out of ammunition while buying time for the safe evacuation of wounded troops.

Upon running out of ammunition, reports indicatedted that the insurgents bombarded the tank with everything at their disposal till they were satisfied that the occupants were dead and the tank inoperable. The soldiers who escaped the attack were distraught and thought that the gallant Commander could not have survived the onslaught of the insurgents. However all that changed about 48 hours later when the Commander returned to base in his barely operable tank. His literal 'return from the dead' was met with jubilation by the soldiers who chanted his praises.

He received an accelerated promotion from Major to Lt. Colonel in September, 2015. His decoration to the rank of Lt. Col. was done in person the Chief of Army Staff. This event was followed with jubilation by his comrades in arms who lifted him high in the air to the admiration of top brass of the Nigerian military. He also received other medals for distinguishing himself on the battle field.

His death on November 4th, 2016 alongside 6 other service personnel was indeed a loss to the Nigerian Army and this was evident at the funeral for him as well as his comrades who fell alongside him in the ambush. It was indeed an emotional ceremony as virtually all those present could not hold back their tears due to the loss of such a dedicated service member who had proved his worth time and again while in theatre.

Rest on gallant Commander and all service members who have fallen on the field of battle to keep boko haram and its cohorts at bay and preserve our freedom and liberty.

The names of some of them may not be inscribed on any memorial wall but their memories will surely linger in the hearts of the loved ones they left behind long after they are gone.

May the sacrifices of our fallen heroes never be in vain. They have paid the supreme sacrifice to keep injustice at bay and played their part in building a nation where peace and justice shall reign again one day.

Shukran

Danke

Merci

Gracias

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ধন্যবাদ

Спасибо

for reading.