NIGERIA: In a raw and emotional broadcast on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, renowned broadcaster, Rufai Oseni was moved to tears while contrasting the United States’ multi-million dollar rescue of a stranded airman in Iran with the tragic abandonment and death of Nigeria’s Brigadier General Musa Uba.
The emotional outburst was triggered by a viral interview from the Honest Bunch podcast featuring a former soldier known as “Soja Boy.” The veteran revealed that despite the life-threatening risks of the frontlines, he earned a mere N51,000—recently increased to N109,000—and was forced to purchase his own boots and uniform from those meager funds.
Oseni highlighted the staggering disparity in how nations value their warriors. He pointed to the recent American extraction in Iran, where the U.S. military reportedly spent close to $500 million, deploying Navy SEALs, CIA operatives, and elite aircraft including the “Pedro” rescue helicopters and a C-130 Hercules, to save a single officer.
“America decided to blow up another F-15 Eagle worth over a hundred million dollars just to ensure the rescue,” Oseni noted. “They sent a shield of aircraft to bring that man back home. They sent a message: ‘You are not alone.’”
The journalist’s composure broke as he pivoted to the fate of Brigadier General Uba, a hero of the 25th Strike Force. Oseni recalled the General’s final, desperate moments in the bush, pleading for a rescue that never arrived.
“General Uba was in the bush with a low battery,” Oseni said through tears. “He sent a message out: ‘Please come and save me.’ But General Uba was never saved. The next thing we heard was that the bandits got him and they killed him. We let a hero down. I remember how his wife had to cry… we let him down.”
Earlier in the deliberation, Dr. Reuben Abati had set the stage by questioning the survival of any soldier on a N109,000 salary in an economy where inflation is projected to hit 15.5%. Abati argued that such “gallantry with empty pockets” only serves to embolden terrorists and bandits who appear better equipped and more motivated than the state’s defenders.
While President Bola Tinubu has consistently promised a definitive win over terrorism, Oseni expressed deep skepticism. He argued that the government’s focus seems skewed toward high-priced defense contracts with firms like Leonardo rather than the welfare of the “foot soldiers” dying daily.
“President Tinubu is good at giving hope, but it’s hard to say ‘we will win’ when the ecosystem is in tatters,” Oseni concluded. “They are busy buying big military platforms and signing contracts where people make millions, but they couldn’t save General Uba. If you are shot down in Nigeria and find yourself on a mountain, well, may the Lord be with you.”
