Daughter of the late Brigadier General Samuel Ademulegun (retd), former commander of the 1st Brigade, Nigerian Army during the 1966 coup, Solape Ademulegun-Agbi, has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving N18 billion as assurance policy for the families of fallen heroes, saying it was quite reassuring to note that the fallen heroes still have a place in the hearts of compatriots.
She made the commendation in a statement yesterday where she lamented that many Nigerians in the fallen heroes category, especially their children, had gone through harrowing experiences and expressed hope that the policy would look beyond the fallen heroes in North-East due to the Boko Haram insurgency.
She said: “I urge those responsible for the management of this policy to remember heroes past, who died in active service, decades ago. Children and dependents of the heroes of the 1966 coup and counter-coup should not be forgotten, as they were denied full parental care from very tender ages.
“The Ademuleguns, for instance, lost their parents in the January 15, 1966 coup. The last two children were just four and six years old, at the time. Ademulegun was Commander 1 Brigade, Kaduna. He served Nigeria with passion and in 1964, led troops to Tanzania to quell a mutiny. That was after duty with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Congo.
“His wife, Latifat Ademulegun, a nurse, died with him, both shot by the copyists. This tragedy did not deter their first son from joining the Nigerian Air Force. the Late Frank Ademulegun (NAF 294), retired as a Group Captain.
“Mention must be made of Brigadier Zakari Maimalari, Colonels Kuru Mohammed, Raph Shodeinde, Lt. Colonels Yakubu Pam, Arthur Unegbe, and Abogo Largema, who lost their lives in the first coup, and many others, including Lt. Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, who died in the second coup of 1966,” she said.
The horrors of those events left deep cuts in the hearts of these families. The Ademuleguns were orphaned so early.
“Once again, I salute the commander-in-chief for this soothing balm.”