"Stop Wasting Our Loved Ones" — Families of Slain Soldiers Cry Out to FG

Families of Slain Soldiers Lament Neglect, Demand End to Insurgency, Better Welfare and Compensation After Series of Deadly Attacks in North-East

Grieving families of soldiers killed in recent insurgent attacks have called on the Federal Government to urgently end the bloodshed in Nigeria’s North-East, decrying what they described as the needless sacrifice of their loved ones due to poor welfare, lack of weapons, and government neglect.

In exclusive interviews with News Review, several widows and relatives of fallen military personnel spoke out following the latest deadly Boko Haram attack on a military base in Marte, Borno State, where five soldiers lost their lives. “Enough is enough,” one distraught widow said. “The government is wasting the lives of our husbands and sons. They are sent to the battlefield with no proper arms, no food, no decent shelter. How do you fight terrorists like that?”

The Marte attack occurred in the early hours of Monday, May 12, 2025, when insurgents stormed the Forward Operating Base, overwhelmed soldiers on duty, looted weapons, and escaped with military vehicles. Despite the Defence Headquarters’ statement claiming the attack was repelled, multiple sources told News Review that some soldiers abandoned their posts out of fear and returned home.

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The widow of a slain army sergeant in Benue State, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the military warned families not to speak to the press, but her pain had become unbearable. “My husband died in Borno three months ago. Till today, no compensation, no visit, nothing from the government. I have three children and no income. 

I will never allow any relative of mine to join the military,” she said tearfully. “Before his death, my husband always told young men in our village never to join the army. He said they were being used and dumped.”

In Gombe State, Shamsudeen Abdullahi mourned the loss of his brother, 30-year-old Kamaludeen, who was killed by Boko Haram on May 7 in Gwoza. “He got married just last year. His wife is now pregnant. He supported our entire family. He even requested a repost three months ago but it was denied. A week later, he was sent to replace a captain that died — now he’s gone too,” Shamsudeen said.

The pain of bereavement is compounded by neglect, according to the Coordinator of the Military Widows’ Association in Kebbi State, Asma’u Noma, who told News Review that nearly 30 percent of military widows have not received death benefits or life insurance entitlements. “Some of us regret marrying soldiers. We’ve been forgotten. No one sees our tears, and no one is coming to our aid. The government must act now or risk losing the confidence of every military family in this country.”

Malama Abdullahi, a widow living in Kano State with her four children, said life has been unbearable since her husband was killed in Maiduguri. “We can’t even afford food or school fees. If not for my relatives, I don’t know where we’d be. Our husbands died for this country — why are we being treated like this?”

Fear isn’t limited to those who have lost loved ones. Families of serving soldiers say they live in daily panic. A mother in Jigawa, Aisha Suleiman, said her son is stationed in Yobe and she fears he might be next. “We didn’t send our children to die for nothing. The government must protect them. Every time I hear about another attack, my heart stops,” she said.

Similarly, a father of a serving soldier in Borno, who asked not to be named, added: “The terrorists are better armed. Our children are being sent to die. If this continues, no parent will allow their child to join the army again.”

Former military officials are also sounding the alarm. Retired Brigadier General Yusuf Ladan told News Review that Nigeria must close technological and logistical gaps if it hopes to defeat insurgents. “We are fighting 21st-century enemies with outdated tools. The government must invest in technology and soldier welfare, or the attacks will only worsen.”

A retired colonel echoed the sentiments, saying: “Soldiers need morale, not just bullets. Their families must be cared for. Without real reform, this war will claim more lives — both on the battlefield and in forgotten homes.”

As the death toll rises and military installations remain under attack, the message from grieving families is clear: “Our loved ones gave everything. The least the government can do is give something back — justice, support, and above all, an end to this senseless war.”