A 38-year-old food vendor from Benue, Ejeh Dangogo, on Monday said that he would embark on an 800km trek from Lagos to Abuja in honour of Nigeria’s fallen heroes.
Dangogo said this during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations which held at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island, Lagos.
According to Dangogo, the trek, which is to commence today, is to draw the National Assembly’s attention to the plight of the Nigerian Armed Forces to see how they could improve the welfare of the armed forces.
“I have been preparing for this journey for the past five years and I am physically, mentally and psychologically fit to do so.
“The rate at which soldiers are dying of terminal diseases as a result of lack of proper welfare is worrisome,” he said.
Dangogo said that he was moved to embark on this journey because he grew up in the barracks and saw how some soldiers suffer from illness and die from terminal illnesses.
“I am passionate about humanity and also passionate about the Nigerian Armed Forces because my dad was a military man. I have spent most of my life in the barracks.
“I am going to do this to draw Nigerians’ consciousness to the selfless sacrifice of our armed forces because it seems like their sacrifice have been going unacknowledged,” the food vendor said.
He thanked Mr George Adegeye representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency for his support and agreement to receive him in Abuja with the Chief of Defence Staff.
“I have a tracking system where I can be tracked in real time and I can also be tracked through social media handles where I will be uploading events frequently.
“The journey will take me 5 weeks of 24km daily,” the food vendor said.
Dangogo also thanked those who give soldiers’ car lift when they see them by the road side, saying that it was also a way of honouring the armed forces.
