Why my children will not join the Nigerian Army – Retired Colonel
Col. Nasiru Salami (retd.), a 76-year-old Nigerian civil war veteran and Secretary of the Nigerian Legion, Lagos Chapter, has voiced his disapproval of the treatment retired soldiers receive, declaring that he would never encourage his children to join the Nigerian Army.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief during the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Salami shared his experiences as a soldier during the Biafra War and the struggles he has faced in retirement.
Salami joined the Nigerian Army in October 1967 and was sent to the battlefield just six weeks later. He served for 11 months during the civil war between 1967 and 1970, during which he lost his right foot, resulting in amputation. Despite his injury, he returned to the war front to continue fighting.
Salami expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of retired soldiers, citing it as the reason he would not allow his children to enlist in the Nigerian Army.
“For now, I will never recommend any of my children to join the Nigerian Army,” he said. “I am their father, and they are seeing me now that my life is not to their expectation. They would want me to be higher than this, full of joy and other things that would make them happy. How would I now encourage them to join the army?”
He added, “I have two graduates now, and I said to them: ‘Never you think of going to join the army. If you want to join, maybe the Navy or the Air Force. I’ve not been there, but I’ve been seeing them and hearing about them because they are treated better.’”
Salami also lamented the unfulfilled promises made to him and his colleagues who fought in the civil war. He revealed that over 50 years later, their war bonuses have not been paid.
“We are asking for a war bonus, those of us who fought the war. I retired in December 1983, and they promised us heaven and earth that they would give us our war bonus, but up till now, we have not seen it,” he said.
The retired officer further noted that the Nigerian Legion in Lagos has over 24,000 members, many of whom face similar challenges with unpaid pensions and poor welfare.
Salami appealed to the government to address these issues and fulfil their promises, ensuring that veterans are treated with the respect and care they deserve.
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