Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, Thursday, honoured the Nigerian’s security men who laid their lives in defence of the country, reiterating his administration’s commitment to continue to partner with the Federal Government to support the Nigerian Armed Forces, fallen heroes, and their families.
He made this known in his speech at the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day and Wreath-Laying Ceremony held at Okpara Square, Enugu. He said January 15 of every year is a solemn day when Nigerians must pause, reflect deeply, and acknowledge the price paid by the nation’s heroes so that other citizens may live in safety.
He said , “from the earliest chapters of our history to the challenges of the present day, members of our armed forces have answered a call to protect our country. From Monrovia to Freetown, Mogadishu to Darfur, Jobar, former Yugoslavia, and several other conflict-prone regions, our armed forces have served with distinction beyond our borders, contributing to peacekeeping and stability across the world. They have represented Nigeria with professionalism and courage, earning respect on international missions, and reinforcing our standing in the global community.”At home, their role has been equally demanding.In the face of insurgency, banditry, and other threats to peace, they have continued to confront danger directly. When insecurity arises, civilians seek safety.
Governor Mbah delivering his speech.
“It is the armed forces who move toward the threat at great personal risk, standing between our nation and peers, choosing duty over comfort, (3:30) courage over fear, and sacrifice over self-preservation. Yet, for all their strength and discipline, those who serve are as human and as vulnerable as all who stand here today. And sometimes, the price of service is paid in the most devastating fashion,” he said.He stressed the need to learn from the scars of division and internal conflicts inherent in the nation’s history in order to build a more united and secure society, saying that “peace and safety must be protected by restraint, dialogue, and shared responsibility.“As a state government, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the Armed Forces and their families. This support goes beyond ceremony. It is reflected in practical care, in advocacy, and in partnership with the Federal Government to ensure that those who serve, and those who have served, are treated with respect and care.
“On this day of remembrance, we honour those families who continue to carry their memory. And we recommit ourselves to the values for which they served: unity, discipline, service, and respect for human life.
“The wreaths we lay today remind us of the responsibility to live as citizens worthy of the sacrifices our heroes made for us,” he said.
He emphasised that the sacrifices of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcended an annual ceremony and should always be borne in the hearts of all Nigerians.
“When a soldier falls, the loss does not end at the battlefield. It enters homes. It settles into families. It is borne in the human heart and becomes part of daily life for those left behind.
“Grief does not announce itself outwardly; it is carried for a lifetime by spouses, parents, brothers, sisters, and by children who grow up holding memories instead of hands.
“We recognise the weight you carry. We recognise the lives that were disrupted, the futures altered, the memories that require loving guardianship. Your loss is now ours to help you carry..
“As a society, we must not look away from that responsibility. To remember the fallen is also to care for the living. To honour the cost of human life is to ensure that families are supported with consistency and compassion,” Mbah stated.
Gov Mbah releasing the pigeons as sign of peace
Mbah stressed that “above all, peace and security are sustained by a mindset that understands the value of prevention.”
“Our history carries the scars of division. From the Civil War of the late 1960s to later internal conflicts, we have learned, at great human cost, what happens when unity fractures and lives become casualties of discord.
“That history reminds us that progress is never guaranteed, and that peace and safety must be protected by restraint, dialogue, and shared responsibility,” he concluded.
In an interview, the President, Military Widows Association of Nigeria, Enugu State chapter, Mrs Sarah Charles Ugwuabonyi commended Governor Mbah for caring for the welfare of military widows and their families in the state, called for jobs and skills to further relieve them.
Highlights of the event were the inspection of a guard of honour by Governor Mbah, the laying of wreaths on the cenotaph of the Unknown Soldier by governor Mbah, the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General O. A. Fadairo; Commander, Nigerian Navy ship, Madueke, Rear Admiral N. Friday; Air Officer Commanding, Ground Training Command, Nigerian Air Force Enugu, Air Vice Marshal A. G. Kehinde; Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, CP Bitrus Giwa; Director of the State Security Service, Enugu State Command, Mr. Humphrey Ohikhuare; Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Enugu State Chapter, Dr. Emeka Igweshi; Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Igwe Samuel Asadu; and the widow of one of the fallen heroes.
There were also three gun salute in honour of fallen heroes , the release of pigeons by the governor and other dignitaries
at the event are the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, as a mark of peace as well as free medical services.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr. Victor Udeh; and the Chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, among other dignitaries.
