The Federal Government has decorated serving personnel and veterans of the Nigerian Army with national honours in recognition of gallantry, sacrifice, leadership and service to the nation, with a slain brigadier general killed by terrorists in Borno State receiving a posthumous award for exceptional courage under fire.
The honours were presented at the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day Gala Night held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja on Tuesday, marking one of the most significant ceremonies for recognising military service in recent years.
According to a statement released Wednesday by the Army spokesperson, Colonel Appolonia Anele, Brigadier General Musa Uba was honoured with the Gallantry Award for displaying exceptional courage and leading troops from the front during counter-insurgency operations in Borno State. Uba was killed in November 2025 after terrorists ambushed troops along the Damboa Road axis near Wajiroko while they were transporting military equipment, underscoring the continuing dangers faced by Nigerian forces battling insurgency in the North-East.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, received the Service and Sacrifice Award in recognition of what the statement described as “selfless service and decisive leadership in counter-insurgency and internal security operations across multiple theatres.”
“The Federal Government has conferred various honours on serving personnel and veterans of the Nigerian Army in recognition of gallantry, sacrifice, innovation, exemplary leadership and post-service contributions to national development,” Anele said in the statement.
Other recipients of the Service and Sacrifice Award included Major General Abdulsalami Enesi Abubakar, Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI, and Major General Faruk Mijinyawa, former General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lagos, who were honoured for exceptional operational leadership and dedication to duty in volatile security environments.
Brigadier General Usman Ahmad received the Mission Success Award for what officials described as his critical role in repelling repeated terrorist attacks and sustaining operational effectiveness under intense pressure, reflecting the ongoing intensity of combat operations in the North-East where Nigerian forces continue to confront Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) factions.
In the innovation category, Colonel Ibrahim Mohammed Gero was awarded for developing a redesigned ballistic gunboat deployed in support of Operation DELTA SAFE, the military campaign addressing crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and maritime insecurity in the Niger Delta region. The recognition highlights the importance of tactical innovation in addressing Nigeria’s diverse security challenges across land and maritime environments.
The ceremony also honoured fallen officers posthumously. Late Colonel B. Umaru received the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Excellence Award for his role in Operation HADIN KAI, while late Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ebisingha Alari was awarded the Fallen Heroes Award for his contributions to counter-terrorism operations in the North-East, where Nigerian forces have been engaged in protracted conflict since 2009.
In the veterans’ category, former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.) received the Legacy (Service and Sacrifice) Award for reforms undertaken during his tenure from 2015 to 2021 and his subsequent diplomatic service as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. Buratai’s tenure as army chief coincided with intensified military operations against Boko Haram and efforts to reclaim territory previously controlled by insurgents in the North-East.
Speaking at the event, President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, charged the Armed Forces to remain disciplined, loyal and united, describing them as “guardians of Nigeria’s democracy.”
The President reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the military in achieving lasting peace and announced the approval of two initiatives—the Thank-A-Soldier Electronic Wall and the My Nigerian Hero Campaign—designed to enable Nigerians to honour serving personnel and veterans. The initiatives represent an effort to strengthen civil-military relations and foster public appreciation for the sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day is an annual event dedicated to honouring fallen heroes, recognising serving personnel and celebrating veterans of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The tradition, which dates back to the end of the First World War when the British Empire observed Armistice Day, has been adapted in Nigeria to commemorate the sacrifices of servicemen and women who have served in various conflicts, including the Nigerian Civil War, peacekeeping missions across Africa, and ongoing internal security operations.
