Nigeria’s oldest soldier, World War veteran, dies at 101

The oldest surviving soldier of the Nigerian Army, Pa Adama Aduku, died on Tuesday at the age of 101.

The army announced the death of the World War 2 veteran on its Twitter handle on Wednesday.

Pa Aduku’s last public appearance was in 2018 at the Nigerian Army Day celebrations in Lagos, where he was presented with an award of excellence by the Vice- President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Aduku reportedly joined the Nigerian contingent fighting for the British colonial army in Burma and Egypt during the World War 2.

“This gallant soldier could not make it into 2020. We lost him yesterday. Rest in peace, great uncle,” the relation, Nats Odaudu, wrote.

Aduku was born in 1918 in Abejukolo-Ife, in the Omaha Local Government Area of Kogi State and he joined the army in 1945.