Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has commended the military for protecting the country from Boko Haram and Islamic State insurgents.
He lauded the men and women in the military for laying down their lives, noting that they gave up all the comfort of life and the affection of their families “that we may enjoy the same.”
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday at the church service commemorating the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Osinbajo pointed out that this year’s edition was more poignant in view of the loss of 13 soldiers and five Air Force officers who died fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the last few weeks.
The VP said the men and women of the armed forces had destroyed the backbone of Boko Haram which once attacked Abuja, Kano and Kaduna with impunity and hoisted their “tattered flags” over 17 local governments in the North-East.
He said, “Today, both Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa operate as small, even if deadly, guerilla bands in parts of Borno State. But in these battles we have been sharply reminded that indeed ‘freedom is not free’.
“So, as we celebrate this Remembrance Day, we solemnly thank the Almighty God for giving us men and women ready to obey the call to fight and if need be die for the fatherland.
“We are grateful that they were faithful to the cause; that they did not betray the trust of millions; that they gave up all the comfort of life and the love and affection of family that we may enjoy the same.”
Osinbajo noted that the nation’s gratitude to the military must also mean a commitment to ensuring that their families were cared for.
The nation’s unity and peaceful coexistence, the VP said, is the best tribute to the fallen heroes.
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