War is a terrible thing; it brings death and destruction, scatters communities and tears families apart. Yet, out of it sometimes comes freedom and peace. It's a severe irony, one that is even more sharply pronounced today, Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
But today is not only a day to remember the brave men and women who have given their lives for our collective freedom and peace since independence, it also marks the end of the Nigerian Civil War (July 6, 1967 - January 15, 1970), a conflict that left rifts and scars that may never completely fade, reminders of the national turmoil we wish we never experienced. The pain of this violent past is very much with us, and we must never forget the losses we suffered on both sides.
May the memory of those who died in the Civil War, soldiers and civilians alike, be blessed as their souls continue to rest in peace.