Nigerian Army Celebrates 162 Years Of Establishment

The 1 Battalion Birnin Kebbi, of the Nigerian Army, at the weekend joined other formations across the country to celebrate this year’s Army Day, marking 162 years since the establishment of the Army as a fighting force.

This year’s celebration, themed “Professionally Responsive Soldiering for a Successful Military Operations,” brought together students of Army Day Secondary School and ABI International School at the ABI Students’ Auditorium Hall.

In his address at the event, the Commanding Officer (Rear), 1 Battalion, Birnin Kebbi, Major Patrick A. Azubuine, described this year’s celebration as unique, noting that public lectures, awareness campaigns, and sensitisation programmes were included to add more depth to the occasion.

Major Azubuine also informed the gathering that the choice of 5th July for Army Day was to commemorate the date in July 1967 when the Nigerian Army fired its first shot, signalling the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War.

“This year, the Nigerian Army is celebrating 162 years of its existence as a strong body created to provide defence for her teeming population since its establishment in 1863. The occasion is to celebrate the Army and to portray it for what they stand for.”

“The 30-month civil war was fought to keep Nigeria as one, with a lot of soldiers paying the supreme price, which shows that the Nigerian Army is committed to having us live together as a nation. The Army, as a corporate body, has continued to grow stronger, and this is what we are celebrating today,” he said.

He added that this year’s celebration comes at a time when the Nigerian Army is still confronting various security challenges threatening the nation at different levels, all while upholding the Nigerian Constitution and maintaining unwavering support for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mrs Victoria Rueben, the Head Teacher of ABI International School, commended 1 Battalion for organising the event in her school, describing it as a significant initiative that brought awareness to the students, encouraging them to appreciate and learn more about the Nigerian Army.