Thread by @brendauji

Anytime I went for a patrol, I would return with an attack on my heels. The insurgents always followed me back to the unit. It became like a curse...
This Armed Forces Remembrance Day, here are some amazing, inspiring, heatbreaking tales from the N/east frontlines. Dropping soon.

ON HIS TRAIL
This is about an officer who served in the most dangerous locations in the Northeast- Alagarno, Sambisa, Malamfatori, Kangarwa etc. Call him AI. AI is gentle, soft-spoken, brave. He recalls a time while in N/borno, whenever they went out of camp, they somehow always

-got into contact with insurgents, on the way back to d camp. It became his trademark. On one such day, they got into a major fight, and were already close to the camp. He radioed the camp not to start shooting yet, because they would be caught in the fire. They were able to get-

-back to camp. Waiting at the entrance was late Abu-Ali with reinforcements, ready to go after the attackers. And the fighting continued. Later on, AI would intentionally leave the camp just to draw them out of their hiding and engage them.

FIGHTING WITH OGA ABU-ALI
AIveers off into his experience fighting along with Abu-Ali. He still calls him “Oga Abu-Ali”; says he learnt a lot from him. He was humble, never shied away from responsibility, didn't put himself above others, and you would find it hard to distinguish-

-him from the mass of soldiers. But when it came to fight, Ali would lead and just ask others to follow. When Abu-Ali died, something seemed to die in many of them. But the war must be fought, and troops in the unit had to be inspired somehow.

OVERCOMING FEAR
Shortly after this loss, they had a major operation in Sambisa, and there was intense uncertainty- landmines, ambushes, tanks getting bogged down. And they had heard terrible things about this stronghold. AI realized that if he could get some soldiers confident-

-enough, the others would catch on. One of first to stand up was the driver of an MRAP, an older man. He volunteered to lead the way and clear the path. Soon the uncertainty vanished, everyone was on board, and the operation turned out much better than they expected.

RISKS WORTH TAKING
AI says he remembers some of the risks he took, and how easily he could have been dead by now. Doing night patrols, driving from Malamfatori to Maiduguri with two gun trucks, transporting the sick- they were risks worth taking for the sake of the operation.

PROTECT THE BASE
The alarm was raised that BH was coming to attack our base with about 10 gun trucks. Everyone deployed to their posts. I had just got to mine when I saw bullets flying around the compound. They had broken thru our first perimeter defence. I remember being-

-separated from them by a wall. Somehow, the commander was able to reroute soldiers from a nearby facility to go round and circle the intruders. We were fighting from 5pm to 10pm. We killed and injured many, but lost some men too. Also, our base did not fall.

NOT WHAT I IMAGINED
People join the military for diff reasons,and many don’t imagine how bad it can get. A new education, a new reality await them when deployment hits. For this young soldier, being posted to the N/east became a lesson in itself, and he’s quick to call for peace

SILENT GRAVES
The rows of graves at the cemetery in Maiduguri tell a tale of the blood of men shed in the fight against insurgency. At the entrance is a small vault, on its walls are the names of those who have died since the COIN began. The list is long. Inside, each grave has-

-an info tombstone. I keep seeing COD: GSW. What does it mean, I ask the cemetery keeper. It’s Cause of Death:Gunshot Wounds. That’s what killed many of them here. Others are IED explosion,very few of natural causes.The cemetery keeper knows something about almost everyone here.

When soldiers enter here to bury their dead, it’s a sober moment. They stare at names of friends, fellow fighters. Many wonder if one day soon, a tombstone here will carry their name, and what will be the cause of death.

...to be continued....

MY NIGHT PATROL NIGHTMARE
I had travelled round the N/east in the night before, but often with many people, special preparations & reasonable security. But one day, I decidd on my own, to join a "real" nighttime fighting patrol,no big names, just frontline soldiers.I was excited-

It had been an interesting day. I'd been thru Gubio-Damasak down to the Walada border btw Nigeria-Niger. The return leg would be a night patrol. I'd seen villages, spoken to IDPs, visited military formations, seen an artillery operation, taken pictures, generally a great time...

It was when we set off that reality dawned on me. We were surrounded by thick woods. There were several ambush points, and the soldiers would shoot when we approached there. My truck had a heavy mounted gun. When the shots rang out, it was like they were shooting from inside-

-My head. I crouched in my seat, mouth dry, heart thumping. I counted every single second. What the hell am I doing here? What if we actually make contact, and this is enemy fire? I'm gone o!! Then I thought of d soldiers riding at the back, barely protected with helmets/vests-

-That could be destroyed with sharp ammo. Why were they using so many lightskin vehicles? How can they even sit there? This is suicide. We need more Armoured fighting vehicles. My heart is shaking. We are driving blind, no lights. I cant't put on my phone. My driver is busy

-Playing music. The melody contrasts with the bullet sounds. How long before we get back? One hour. I swallow saliva. My colleague is silent. He's a married man, I think of his wife, what will I tell her if anything happens to him? He was reluctant when I told him this would a-

-"Just us" trip. What if he was right? I think of the soldiers again. You guys are trying, is all I imagine. Finally, the lights of home appear. But wait, we can't even get entrance immediately.They hav to confirm that no enemy followed us. its the longest five-minute manoeuvre-

-And then the gates open for us. I am relieved. I promise myself I will be taking a long break after this. I've known before but more than ever, I understand that confidence is not enough. Bravery is not enough, skill is not enough. Troops need better equipment, better support.

HE STILL WONDERS
Last year, I talked about some letters soldiers gave me to their families. Today, I dug them out and called one of the wives. I was afraid she would say he was dead. Luckily, he wasn't just alive, he was right there with her. I remembr a question he had asked me-

-back then in Kangarwa. "Is Nigeria worth dying for?". I didn't answer that day. He asked me again. I said don't ask me. He said okay, but he has a message - "How do you fly, when you lose all your wings?" He is a member of the special Forces, trained Belarus. He tells me that

Many of his colleagues lost their marriages and relationships during deployment. He struggled to keep he's, but there was damage. He is still trying. He says they're loyal, but need support. He adds that he is in the Northwest now, and went out in uniform today. No one even-

Acknowledge their service, even as it is Remembrance day, and it somehow got to him. But like many others, this one will still be deployed when crisis occurs, and he'll have to fight for a nation he's not sure understands what he goes thru.

..To be continued. (In a different time zone, so this may come in late, Nigerian time.)

So, I see this is looking too bleak and sad-ish, life isn't always like that in the frontlines, so let me try wrap this up with some more fun stuff...

NICKNAMES
There's a nickname for almost everything. Soldiers often have their own quirky fun names for the things around them. Ak-47 bullets can be "Groundnuts". I'm laughing here cos this guy just told me, with a very serious expression, that what he's holding is "Sugarcane"!!

MUSIC IS LIFE
Music is a big part of troops life, both for ceremonies and in combat.There are many musical talents in d war front. A certain fighter pilot is also a pro DJ. Now here's something for the Rap fans, with love from Damasak (pardon the poor sound system!)

Oya, record labels, come and see o. There just might be opportunity for some powerful collabos 😀😀

The Armed Force Remembrance Day reminds us to honour and respect those who stand, or once stood in the frontlines for the country. Not just in words, but in deed- ensuring their training, equipping, kitting, welfare, and psychological support. There are ongoing operations at-

Different fronts of the country, and daily there are reports of challenges troops face. There's no better way to honour them this year than to improve the sector. Happy Armed Forces Remembrance Day, to those here, and who have gone beyond. Thank you for your service.