The Green Heroes Foundation has challenged the Federal Government and the Nigerian Armed Forces to establish permanent monuments in honour of military personnel who died in the line of duty.
The foundation made the call on Saturday in Abuja during the unveiling of a cenotaph at the National Military Cemetery, 34 years after the Nigerian Air Force C-130 crash that claimed 159 lives.
The C-130 aircraft, designated NAF 911, crashed shortly after taking off from Lagos on September 26, 1992. The incident remains one of the deadliest disasters in the history of the Nigerian military.
Speaking at the ceremony, the founder of the Green Heroes Foundation, retired Commodore Abayomi Balogun, said the initiative was intended to ensure that the sacrifices of the fallen personnel were not forgotten.
Balogun said the foundation’s decision to erect the cenotaph was also a challenge to the military authorities and the country to do more to preserve the memory of soldiers who died in service.
“If a small NGO can do what we have done today, the Armed Forces can do better,” he said.
He questioned the absence of permanent monuments for Nigerian soldiers who died during military operations outside the country, including those who served in Cameroon, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
He also mentioned troops who died during operations in the North-East, asking where the monuments were that would ensure that their sacrifices remained in the national memory.
Balogun said the annual Armed Forces Remembrance activities should be complemented by permanent memorials where Nigerians could reflect on the sacrifices of fallen service personnel.
According to him, the foundation decided to undertake the project after discovering that there was no monument at the National Military Cemetery specifically commemorating the victims of the 1992 crash.
He said the foundation would continue to support veterans, military families and families of fallen heroes.
Representing the Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi Yaro said the crash remained one of the most painful chapters in Nigeria’s military history.
He commended the foundation for delivering the memorial, describing the cenotaph as a permanent testament to the service and sacrifice of the fallen personnel.
“Their loss remains one of the most painful chapters in our national military history,” he said.
The minister’s representative urged other organisations and individuals to emulate the initiative.
Also speaking on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, Rear Admiral Gideon Kachim said the memorial reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to ensuring that those who died in the service of Nigeria were not forgotten.
Oluyede said the crash claimed the lives of military personnel and other passengers travelling towards Kaduna and Jos, adding that there were no survivors.
He said the impact of the tragedy went beyond the loss of personnel, as families lost fathers, husbands, sons and brothers.
“Official records may document names, ranks and appointments, but families remember much more. They remember the voices, the smiles, the shared moments and the lives that were lived before that fateful day,” he said.
Oluyede said the cenotaph would become part of the Armed Forces’ institutional memory and remind serving personnel that behind every uniform was a human being, a family and a story.
He urged serving military personnel to honour the fallen through dedication to duty, professionalism, discipline, comradeship and commitment to the country.
Representing the chairman of the occasion, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, Air Vice Marshal G.A. Adekunle said the 34-year wait for an enduring memorial raised questions about the nation’s approach to remembering its fallen heroes.
Umar described the cenotaph as a symbol of memory, honour and gratitude, saying the project demonstrated what could be achieved through collective action.
He commended the Green Heroes Foundation for its support for military veterans, widows, children of fallen heroes and families of serving personnel.
He also assured the families of the 1992 crash victims that their loved ones had not been forgotten.
The cenotaph is expected to serve as a permanent memorial to the 159 people who died in the C-130 crash and as a place for serving personnel, families and members of the public to remember their sacrifice.