Remembrance Day: Nigeria Is A Blood-stained Country By Cheta Nwanze
This is one of the tragedies of Nigeria. The number of people who have been killed in mass atrocities in the country since “independence” perhaps gets close to the 100,000 mark.
by Cheta Nwanze
Jan 15, 2021
Nigeria tells us that today is Armed Forces Remembrance Day, a day set aside for our “heroes” in uniform. While there is no doubt to my mind that many officers in our army are heroes, think Sani Bello who saved the life of Gen. Ironsi’s ADC, Andrew Nwankwo, and Usman Jibrin, who flew many Igbo officers to safety during the pogroms of 1966, and even Mohammed Shuwa, who ensured that Igbos were protected in the area under his command, the fact is that on the balance, the Nigerian Army has a murderous reputation, and as I once referred to them, are an equal opportunities brutaliser.
Nigeria tells us that today is Armed Forces Remembrance Day, a day set aside for our “heroes” in uniform. While there is no doubt to my mind that many officers in our army are heroes, think Sani Bello who saved the life of Gen. Ironsi’s ADC, Andrew Nwankwo, and Usman Jibrin, who flew many Igbo officers to safety during the pogroms of 1966, and even Mohammed Shuwa, who ensured that Igbos were protected in the area under his command, the fact is that on the balance, the Nigerian Army has a murderous reputation, and as I once referred to them, are an equal opportunities brutaliser.