A retired civil war veteran, Col. Nasiru Salami, has warned his children against joining the Nigerian Army, citing the poor treatment of retired military personnel by the authorities.
Salami, who served in the Nigerian Army during the civil war from 1967 to 1970, shared his experiences on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, as part of the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations.
At 76 years old, Salami reflected on his military career and the challenges he faced after retirement. “For now, I will never recommend any of my children join the Nigerian Army,” he said. I am their father, and they are seeing me now, that my life is not to their expectations. 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?”
Salami’s decision is influenced by the poor welfare of retired soldiers, which he believes is a result of the government’s failure to provide adequate support.
As the Secretary of the Nigerian Legion’s Lagos Chapter, Salami revealed that the organization has over 24,000 members, many of whom face similar challenges. “We are asking for 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,” Salami lamented.
Instead, Salami advised his two graduate children to consider alternative military branches like the Navy or Air Force, which he believes offer better conditions and treatment.
