As prices of basic needs continue to skyrocket on a daily basis amid increase in the standard of living in Nigeria, the anguish of family members, particularly wives and children left by soldiers who died in the line of duty has deepened, Weekend Trust reports.

Speaking with our correspondents, some widows of military officers who paid the supreme price in some theatres of operation lamented that life had been more burdensome since they lost their breadwinners.

Weekend Trust reports that many soldiers died while fighting insurgents in the North-East, bandits in the North-West, members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-East and oil thieves in the South-South regions of the country.

Although the military high command explained that all the three services in the armed forces – Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force – had ensured that all family members of its fallen heroes were not left to suffer, the widows, however, said their woes had been compounded with the present inflation in the country.

Weekend Trust recalls that prices of basic needs doubled, and in some cases, tripled shortly after the removal of fuel subsidy and floatation of the naira by the present administration led by President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking with our correspondents across the country, widows of Nigerian soldiers who died in active service shared their painful experiences after the demise of their breadwinners, calling on the government and the military authorities to come to their aid.

They lamented how the hardship in the country, coupled with abandonment and financial difficulties they face while raising their children without adequate support from the military authorities, made them to think about suicide at times.

‘I sell firewood to feed four children’

“Life is very difficult for me and my four children. I now sell firewood to feed myself and my four children because relatives of my late husband do not support me,” one of the wives of a late soldier, Dausiya Murtala said.

Narrating how her husband died, she said his colleagues brought him back from their duty post at Kursati in Ussa Local Government Area of Taraba State, saying he was feeling sick.

Dausiya said her husband died a few hours after he was brought back home; and a few months later, after his demise, she and her children had to move out of the quarters they were staying inside the army barracks in Takum town to Katsina. And since then – three years now – she and her four children have continued to suffer untold hardship.

“Since the death of my husband, life has not been the same. His relatives have not assisted my four children and I. His benefits were paid to me, out of which I bought a small house for my children and I to stay, but nothing is left now,” she lamented.

She said she was told there were still other benefits to be paid to her and she has been waiting for it, but nothing was paid again, adding, “I am in need of money to feed my children and pay their school fees.

“I am not from Katsina State, l hail from Maigatari town in Jigawa State, and as such, l don’t have any relative to help me out of my present situation in Katsina.

“I don’t want to tell my parents the difficulty I face here in Katsina.”

Dausiya said she was told that her husband had a plot of land inside Katsina town but when she approached his parents to show her the plot, they warned her to stay away.

“Since the parents of my late husband have refused to assist me, the only option left for me is to sell the house and relocate to either my town, Maigatari in Jigawa State or Kano and start a business with whatever amount I realise. My priority is to ensure that my children are educated. That’s what my late husband also cherished,” she added.

Describing her late husband as a caring father she said, “I appeal to the military authorities to please pay what is left of my late husband’s benefits so that l can continue sponsoring my children to school and feed them well.”

Another widow, Aisha Jamilu, who lost her husband two years ago, also said that life had not been the same since then.

She told Weekend Trust that her husband, a sergeant, was on duty with three other soldiers in the creeks of Bayelsa and the engine boat they were patrolling the waters in capsized and he died.

“My husband was the only one who died in the mishap. After his death l had to take my eight children out of the barracks to Kano, where we are now staying,” she said.

Aisha further said that two of her children had gained admission into Bayero University, Kano with the support of her parents, her husband’s parents and his relatives.

She, however, said the assistance was not enough to cater for the education of her eight children, feeding and other demands.

The widow revealed that although the pension and burial allowance of her late husband was paid to her, “in the face of current inflation, what was paid to me has finished.

Aisha said that out of the pension of her husband, she was able to buy a small house at Sabuwar Gandu in Kano town; and that is where she resides with her children now.

She said, “Before my husband died, he started building a house but he could not complete it. Because of the cost of building materials, l was advised not to put the money in completing the house but to rather buy a small one.”

‘My son missed admission’

Hajara Haruna, the widow of Lance Corporal Haruna, also recounted how her husband died in active service on September 4, 2016 in Maiduguri after their armoured personnel carrier (APC) hit a landmine. She said he was first taken to Jos but later transferred to the 44 Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna, where he died a week later.

“I have four kids with him – three boys and a girl. Honestly, life has not been funny with me in every aspect.”

Hajara said she was forced to carry the full weight of the responsibility of the family as her late husband was the only son of his aged parents.

“The responsibility of caring for the children fell on me and God. It is not easy feeding them; and the army was not paying me,” she alleged.

She, however, disclosed that when her husband’s entitlements eventually came, it amounted to the sum of N1.2 million, which she said was shared according to Islamic inheritance laws between herself, her sick father-in-law and mother-in-law.

“The father was given N250,000, and the mother too. Out of N1.2 million, how much was remaining for me and my four kids?” She asked.

She said that to make their matter worse, the army withheld her late husband’s salary for several months after his death.

“I didn’t get paid for September, October, November or December 2016. When they eventually started paying me, it was from January 2017. Nobody told me what happened to the previous four months,” she also alleged.

Speaking on how life became a daily struggle for her and the children she said, “As a soldier’s wife there’s nothing like saving money. Any money that came in was for feeding, school fees and other daily needs. We even used part of it to take care of his diabetic father.”

She said her first son completed secondary school at a military school, where she was charged school fees based on civilian status because her husband had died.

“When it was time for him to go to university, he missed the chance because I couldn’t raise the money,” she added.

Hajara said she left the barracks nearly five years ago and has continued struggling to raise her children alone.

Another widow fondly called Mama Blessing by friends and neighbours, whose husband, Sergeant Solomon Dakoto, died in active service in Maiduguri in 2021, echoed similar sentiments.

“We are only managing to cope with life. I have two kids with him. As we speak, I am still staying in the barracks and managing my life alongside the children,” she said.

She appealed to military authorities to improve welfare support for children of fallen soldiers, saying, “They should increase the scholarship money given to orphans. It should cover tertiary education. Right now, it is not enough.”

Okuama killings and empty promises

In Kano, one of the most tragic deaths involving a soldier was that of Lieutenant- Colonel AH Ali, the commanding officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion who was murdered alongside two majors, one captain and 12 soldiers in Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking about the situation of his family, his wife, Hauwa Ali said all the promises given to them since his death were not delivered.

She told one of our correspondents that she has been catering for her children in a difficult situation.

“We have not been given anything since then; all the promises were empty – nothing has come to us so far. Even the children’s education that was promised has not been done. I still pay for their school fees and everything through the small business I am doing and with the help of their extended family,” she recounted.

Hauwa further appealed to the authorities to come to their aid, saying it has not been easy since the demise of the breadwinner of the family.

Weekend Trust had reported that the mother of the slain Lieutenant-Colonel Ali, Hassana Hassan, confirmed to this newspaper that the late commander was her second child to die in the military.

She further narrated how her daughter, who was also married to a military man, died alongside her husband and his brother in a car accident during the fasting period some years ago.

Hassana recalled how her husband, a retired military man died peacefully after retirement from active service.

‘Widows not wanted in barracks’

In Niger State, the widows of soldiers and military officers killed by bandits and insurgents alleged that they were no wanted in the barracks again.

One of the widows, Helen Ferdinand Ajom, a mother of two girls, whose husband, Lance Corporal Ferdinand Ajom was killed in an ambush at Gidan-Mangoro, Bosso Local Government Area in 2014, also narrated her ordeal to Weekend Trust.

According to her, she struggles to control her tears while remembering how she became a widow and challenges being faced while trying to make ends meet.

She said although her husband’s gratuity was paid, his life insurance has not been settled, adding that the army does not regularly pay her children’s school fees as promised.

“My husband was killed on August 4, 2016 at Gidan-Mangoro, and since then, life has not been easy for me and my two children.

“My husband’s family doesn’t assist us. We are just struggling to survive. I have a farmland in the Minna army barracks, but they said they didn’t want to see any widow coming to barracks to farm again.

“So even to feed is a challenge. Recently, I was going to my farm in this barracks and I was stopped at the gate and asked to go back – that barracks authorities didn’t want to see widows coming to farm in there again.

“When I returned home that day, I cried as if that was the day my husband was killed. It was very painful. Farming is my last option now to survive with my children.

“The army promised to sponsor the children through school, but to get that money is always hell for us. We only receive children’s school fees once a year; and it is always hell to see it. You need to know someone in the army before they answer you.

“The gratuity has been paid but life insurance has not been paid. And sometimes they skip school fees for children for a year and pay another year. My first daughter is currently in SS2 and the younger one just passed out from JSS3.

We packed out of the barracks in 2018 and have been living in a rented house; it has not been easy. As I speak with you, my house rent was due for renewal since May 2025 but I have not been able to pay.

“Every day, I would have to beg my landlord to remain patient with me. I pay N100,000 for the house I live in,” she narrated.

She appealed to the government to empower them to start businesses to cushion the impact of the current economic hardship in the country.

‘N4m released out of N50m promised’

The leader of widows in the state also said, “During this year’s (2025) Armed Forces Remembrance Day, the Niger State governor, Umar Bago promised to give us N50 million through the Nigerian Legion, Niger State Office, but what came to us was N4 million.

“The N4 million was for all the military widows, not just those whose husbands were killed in the battle field. From that N4 million, each widow was given N10,000 and the rest was deposited to buy two tricycles for commercial activities so that we can continue to generate money to take care of ourselves, especially when emergency happens, such as health challenges.

“Recently, we lost one of our members to diabetes. She needed N350,000 for surgery at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna but nobody could help until she passed on. So, with the savings we want to start now we would be able to help ourselves during such emergencies.

“We thank the TRADOC commander, Major-General Kevin Aligbe. He has been like a father to us. He has been helping us with bags of foodstuff. The last time he gave us bags of rice, many of us were just crying in appreciation. It is hard to get such kind of help nowadays,” she said.

198 military widows in Niger

Hajiya Ramatu Abdul Abugi, whose husband, Captain A. M. Abugi was killed by Boko Haram in Gwoza, Borno State, on August 5, 2014, also narrated her ordeal.

Ramatu, who is the coordinator of military widows in Niger State, said there are currently 198 recognised military widows in the state, including those whose husbands were killed on the battlefield.

“My husband was killed in August 5, 2014 in Gwoza, Borno State, but the military authorities didn’t tell me until 2017 because they said he was missing-in-action. I didn’t even see his corpse.

“He left me in 2014 with 7 children. I have been going through a lot to raise these children. There was no payment of entitlements as at the time he was killed, but later, the gratuity was paid.

“When my husband died, one of my children was in JSS1 and the rest were still in primary school. But I thank God that with my little business, I have been able to see some of them through school, but there are some that are still schooling.

“As a widow without any job, it has not been easy. We need government’s intervention to empower us. Most widows whose husbands were killed in Niger State are not finding it easy to cope, especially with the current economic hardship in Nigeria,” she said.

Poultry business shut down

In an emotional-laden interview with Weekend Trust, Mrs. Oluwaseyi Ilya, the widow of Major Ilya, who was tragically killed in action in Maiduguri, Borno State, opened up on the challenges she faced after her husband’s untimely death.

“Losing my husband was like losing a part of myself. He was my rock, my partner and my best friend. His death left a void that seemed impossible to fill,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

But despite her grief, Mrs. Ilya knew that she had to find a way to move forward. With a family to care for, she made the difficult decision to shut down the poultry business she had built by the side of her small apartment in Ojo Cantonment.

“It was a tough decision, but I knew I had to do what was best for my four children. What I had could not sustain the poultry as bird feed was out of the roof top,” she explained.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Mrs. Ilya began to explore new opportunities. She eventually found employment at another poultry farm, where she has been working tirelessly to provide for her loved ones.

“It is not the same as running my own business, but it is a start. I am grateful for the opportunity to work and provide for my family. It is a new chapter in my life and I am determined to make the most of it,” she said, her eyes shining with determination.

Mrs. Ilya’s story is a testament to the strength and resilience of Nigerian women. Despite facing unimaginable tragedy, she has refused to give up.

Narrating how her husband died, she said she had chosen to honour the memory of her husband while also securing a brighter future for herself and her four children.

“I will continue to work hard to provide for my family and keep his memory alive. My husband was killed in the North-East in 2017 while fighting insurgency. After his death, I got N17 million as his death benefit.

“What can one achieve with the escalating cost of things, including school fees and fending for the children? Although I left my quarters in the barracks after three years, the move to chase us out of our apartment started soon after my husband’s burial. The saving grace was that my husband built a bungalow. So, when the heat started, I had no other option but to move in with my children.

“Life has not been easy for us. I struggle to ensure that my children continue with their education. My first daughter has graduated while another is in the university.

“My husband was from Borno State and I am from Lagos. Since my husband’s tragic death, life hasn’t been easy. The road has been rough and tough, with no help from anyone. Those who came around when the going was good faded away, with none of them willing to help.

“What kept me going was the determination to survive. I turned to God and he has seen me through the rough paths,” she added.

On how she got to know about her husband’s demise, she said that at first, the news was unbelievable but the reality of what happened later struck her like a thunderbolt.

“For days, I wept uncontrollably. But what can I do? I cannot change the hand of the clock, so I had to accept my destiny. Till date I still feel his absence, either for strength, courage, emotional talk, as well as pleasure. He was the breadwinner in his family, so they couldn’t help much when he passed away.

“I am appealing to the Nigerian Army authorities to consider enlisting one of my children and others like me into the military so as to fill up the vacuum created by the untimely exist of our husbands,” she pleaded.

On her part, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, Mrs. Rukayat Ishola said her church had been her backbone since she lost her husband in the line of the duty.

Mrs. Ishola, also a serving officer of the Nigerian Air Force, said she had not found things easy considering how the Force treated her by declaring her a deserter when she was undergoing trauma that came from the loss of her husband.

When contacted, the Director of Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, said the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa had done everything possible within his powers to ensure that none of the family members of the fallen heroes is left uncared for.

Brigadier-General Gusau explained that part of the duties of the defence chief was to engage other services and the head of Military Pension Board regularly to ensure that the affected families are reached out to.

“The CDS and service chiefs always reach out to the widows of fallen heroes, as well as their family members. In fact, the wife of the president, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu and wives of service chiefs do empower them from time to time,” the senior military officer said.

He, however, called on the families of the deceased officers whose benefits are yet to be paid to approach the right channels, saying there are different categories of officers and various categories of benefits in the three services. (Weekend Trust)