The Imo State Government has approved the release of N600 million to families of soldiers who died in service and to personnel injured while defending the country, as states across the South East marked the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.
Governor Hope Uzodinma announced the intervention on Thursday in Owerri, shortly after laying a wreath at the ceremony held at Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square.
He said the payment reflected the state’s responsibility to those who bore the cost of national security and to relatives left behind.
Uzodinma said the support would be sustained, stressing that the bravery and patriotism of the Armed Forces imposed a continuing duty on government, both during service and after death.
He also commended security agencies for their professionalism, while praising President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen the country’s security framework.
In Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah said honouring fallen soldiers must extend beyond annual ceremonies to consistent care for those still living with the consequences of military service.
Speaking at the cenotaph at Okpara Square during the state’s remembrance activities, Mbah said the sacrifices of the Armed Forces should remain firmly embedded in the national consciousness.
He added that security in Enugu State was sustained not by force alone, but by civic responsibility and collective resolve.
The event was attended by serving and retired military officers, widows of fallen soldiers and members of the public.
Representatives of ex-servicemen and widows used the occasion to call for long-term support measures that improve livelihoods beyond symbolic rituals.
Meanwhile, in Awka, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo urged young people from the South East to consider careers in the military and paramilitary services.
Addressing the gathering at Alex Ekwueme Square after inspecting a guard of honour and laying a wreath at the statue of the unknown soldier, Soludo said the remembrance ceremony provided an opportunity to reflect on lives lost during the civil war, which ended 56 years ago, and in subsequent military engagements.
He commended members of the Armed Forces for their continuing role in protecting Nigerians, describing their contribution as central to national stability.