Lifestyle
Pa Adama Aduku: Nigeria’s Oldest World War II Veteran (PHOTOS)
Born in 1918 in Abejukolo-Ife, Kogi State, Pa Adama Aduku lived through some of the most defining moments of the 20th century. At just 24, he joined the Nigerian contingent of the British colonial army in 1942, serving with courage in Burma and Egypt during the Second World War.
When the war ended, Aduku returned home in 1946 and briefly left the army. But by 1950, after the birth of his child, he re-enlisted, showing his enduring commitment to service. He finally retired in 1957 at the age of 39 and began a new chapter as a trader at Tinubu Square in Lagos Island.
Pa Aduku’s life was a bridge between colonial Nigeria and modern independence. He embodied a generation of young men who carried the burdens of a global war on their shoulders, far from home, in service of an empire that had yet to grant them full citizenship.
In 2018, his sacrifice was formally recognised when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presented him with an award of excellence at the Nigerian Army Day celebration—his final public appearance.
On December 31, 2019, just hours before the dawn of a new decade, Pa Adama Aduku passed away at the age of 101. President Muhammadu Buhari mourned him as a “soldier’s soldier” and an “epitome of honour.”
His story is not only one of longevity but of courage, resilience, and the quiet dignity of service.
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