Not everyone survives military training. It's unfortunate he died. May his soul rest in peace.

Olalan:
RIP to the young promising lad.
BTW this needs to be investigated,from the experience and reputation of military officers or recruits he just might have been accidentally killed but unfortunately nothing would come out of the investigations

The kind of beating training that goes on in that military training camp ehn.
Naija own get as e be.

Military training is for a physically sound person. It's intense .

Hizzy:

I would love the beating if I can school there

The stress that you will pass through will make you run overnight. It takes grace of God to survive for five years.

Na to cover up be the naija way....no one wants gbese

Nigerian military is a no no for me.

We don't even keep them as friends.

Those who are family members, we keep a distance from.

RIP young man

Sad!

Nigerian army tuuueeeh!

Life sometimes is quick to act.

Painful. But what were the parents thinking? NDA is no child's play. His brilliance should have been channelled into other profitable niches.

Even if he successfully completed the military training, his chances of being posted to Sambisa would still be very high.

That NDA mission was a huge risk for parents with just 3 children. Like my friend would always say "I no born any pikin wey i wan donate for Nigerian Army o"

Too many psychos on this thread. Smh

There is nothing and nothing d family can do



Infact d family will not be compensated.

This is d more reason why there is a column for parents and guardians to fill,in case there d applicant die,NDA wil not be responsible .


RIP young lad
U fought a gud fight even in death.

fk001:
Rest on.



Beating is part of NDA culture, sorry no one can change it.

Bros check very well, bearing is not in the culture of any organization recognize by the United Nations, Nigerian military is not exempted. There are other means of instilling discipline in the army.

One of Efcc recruits also died during training at NDA last year

I know this guy very well, he was the Assistant Gen Sec last session and was a very brilliant dude. what he really wanted in NDA is what I don't understand. Rest on Taiwo, may God grant your family a fortitude to bear this loss.

Hizzy:

I would love the beating if I can school there

Then your family wee now comma sue us again ba

wakabobo:
The family members of Damilare Taiwo, an Economics student at the University of Lagos, Akoka, have been thrown into mourning following his death a day after he resumed for training at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna State.

The army authorities reportedly said the 20-year-old slumped and died during a training session last Tuesday.

But the family told Saturday PUNCH that the circumstances surrounding Damilare’s death aroused suspicion, claiming that he was beaten to death.

A brilliant student with a CGPA said to be in the range of Second Class Upper Division, the native of Ile-Ife, Osun State had always wished to be an accomplished army officer.

He had applied for the Regular Combatant Course of the NDA in 2015 at 17, but did not make the list of the successful candidates. Undeterred by hard luck, promising Damilare reapplied for the programme a few months ago.

He was shortlisted on August 8, 2018 among the 10 selected candidates from Osun State for the 70 Regular Combatant Course, coincidentally at a time when he was rounding off his first degree project.

On Saturday, August 25, his father saw him off to Ikorodu Garage – some distance from their residence – beaming with joy that the first child of the family was about to embark on a journey to attain enviable ranks in the profession he had been nursing for years.

“He left Lagos for Kaduna that Saturday, a day after he concluded his project in school, and reported at the training camp on Monday, August 27,” the deceased’s father, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, told our correspondent.

Narrating Damilare’s journey through life, Oyedele said his death came to the family as a rude shock.



The father recalled, “He finished his secondary school education in 2014 and gained admission to UNILAG the same year to study Economics. He was just 20 years old. He just completed his project.

“When he wanted to leave for Kaduna that Saturday, I advised him to be a good ambassador of the family and prayed for him. He was an easy-going child. He had always wanted to be a soldier.

“In one of his pictures on Facebook, he edited the image of the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed in the N20 note and replaced it with his picture. That is to tell you the passion he had for the Force and how far he wanted to go.

“He had been showing interest in the army since 2011 when he was 13. It is so unfortunate that he could not accomplish his mission.

“The army sent some officers to us last Thursday to tell us about his death. They told us that he collapsed during a training session on Tuesday (August 28).”

Oyedele, a building material dealer, described his son’s death as devastating to the family, lamenting that they had invested so much hope in him. For years, the businessman would battle to get over the heartache of the irreparable loss.

A devout Christian, Damilare was fondly addressed as ‘Pastor Dammy,’ ‘one of the God’s Generals,’ ‘Woli agba,’ among other religious nomenclatures.

“There is no way I can forget him. He was my first child. He was very devoted in churches, both at the community and in his school. It is only God that can comfort me. He was a role model to his two siblings.

“He was a cool-headed person. If he was not reading, he was surfing the Internet, studying the Bible or helping his mother in her shop,” the father added in a hushed tone.

While Oyedele managed to control his emotion, his wife, was inconsolable, crying uncontrollably. She had passed out on hearing the sad news and did not regain consciousness until she was taken to a hospital.

The intensity of her wailing during an encounter with our correspondent six days after the incident showed that the family had, indeed, lost an illustrious son.

She said mournfully, “Won ti kan mi leyin okan (They have broken my canine). I learnt my son was beaten to death whereas the army told us he fell and died.

“I don’t want my son to die in vain. The military said he would be buried in Kaduna, but I don’t want my son to be buried there. They should bring his corpse to Lagos.”

Damilare’s younger brother, Moses, explained that his death was painful, noting that he died with many beautiful plans he had for the family.

“There were a lot of promises. He personally promised to be giving me N10,000 out of his salary every month,” he said.

Moses, who also claimed his brother died under questionable circumstances, urged the military authorities to conduct a postmortem on his corpse.

He added, “The military officers that came told us that he slumped and died. But some of his colleagues called and told us that he was beaten to death during ‘welcome home’ tradition at the camp. They said he was complaining that he was tired, but they did not leave him. The witnesses were afraid to speak out so that they would not run into trouble. We are going to take it up; we want to know the cause of his death.”

Meanwhile, friends of the deceased have paid glowing tributes to him on Facebook. One of his friends by the alias, Gallant Captain Whale, described Damilare as “his mentor.”

Whale wrote, “We love you but God loves you more. I won’t forget moments we spent together, my mentor right from school days. Even at death, you are brave. I love you brother from another mother. Rest in peace.”

To Okpewho Abednego Fikioghene, Damilare was “a leader” from whom he had learnt while they were in secondary school.

He said, “RIP, Damilare. You were the Asst. Head Boy, 2014 set; I was the Asst. Head Boy 2015 set. It was a privilege to learn from a leader like you. Live on; your legacy still remains.”

“It really touched me. Everyone said good (things) about you when you left. God loves you most brother. Rest in peace,” another friend, Its Ba Smith, wrote.

The Course Adviser of the deceased at UNILAG, Dr. Ayodele Shittu, said he was Damilare’s confidant, adding that he was in his office to bid him farewell to Kaduna for the training.

Shittu said, “He was very humble and respectful. Academically, he was very sound and he would be finishing with a very good 2:1 (Second Class Upper Division). He had completed his project.

“The news of his death was very shocking. He came to my office while he was leaving. He hardly hid anything from me. I will miss him.”

Efforts by Punchng correspondent to get the reaction of the NDA to the incident and the allegation raised by the family proved abortive.

When our correspondent contacted the the Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Jogn Agim, he directed him to one Major Yahaya, who said he was no longer the NDA spokesperson.

Yahaya gave Saturday PUNCH the phone number of one Major Abdullahi said to be the current spokesperson for the academy. But when contacted, the receiver said it was a wrong number.

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/punchng.com/20-year-old-unilag-student-dies-at-nigerian-defence-academy-family-kicks/amp/

Tbf the NDA like other military training schools around the world do insert death waivers in their forms
Rip to the boy tho

Tapout:
the sad thing now is that the family can probably not do anything about his death.

You will sign a warrant. So they can't do anything. I had a friend that left for it but came back because he couldn't survive there.

thorpido:
The kind of beating training that goes on in that military training camp ehn.
Naija own get as e be.

they will teach you how to beat the shit out of civilian

TheOtherRoom:
Chai
He was shortlisted on August 8, 2018 among the 10 selected candidates from Osun State for the 70 Regular Combatant Course, coincidentally at a time when he was rounding off his first degree project.


I thought they said no more underground recruitment.
Last NDA recruitment for Short Service Commission was when??
Rip bro I pray for you

He was 20 years old and the age limit for RC is 21 so even if you finish university at 20 you can still apply for the RC

arofemites:
Military training is for a physically sound person. It's intense .

the main issue is that they are reprived of good sleep to recover. Even if you are in good health but don't get the proper sleeping time your body will tell you. They sleep about 2-3 hours per day

Hazing is a normal thing in NDA.

The senior cadets will have them pin their heads with other punishments and correct beating.

Nigerian Army is very similar to the French Foreign Legion in the sense that you must have given up on doing something useful with your life.

If Army trips dey sweet you, buy a ps4 and get the Call of Duty series with PSN sub.

How Bitter, How Sad! Such is life, beyond prediction. He didn't get Rich, but hopefully he makes Heaven, I Pray.

fk001:
Rest on.



Beating is part of NDA culture, sorry no one can change it.

They only beat the recruits. This guy couldn't have been severely beaten. Perhaps, he died during one of the rigorous activities.

So sad... I cried before i was through reading it.

me69:
they will teach you how to beat the shit out of civilian

Yea,that's why they get aggressive with civilians.

Xbee007:
Too many psychos on this thread. Smh

Too many on almost every thread.

God bless his soul

If he hadn't died today, he probably would have died in the hands of Boko haram with missing body parts. Boko has come to stay forever, Boko haram war is an economy on its not dying soon. The north will use it to loot the centre in Abuja.

Morever, the parents must have signed the 'death warrant' required of every parent to sign at NDA. So the Army will not be held responsible.

RIP Damilare! So long.

There's a barbaric touch to everything that has to do with this country. I feel sorry for the deceased and his family. A country he wanted to serve failed him.

AFONJA and their softness... he collapsed and die nah what else.. better he die now than to die in the hands of those mad jihadist in sambisa

Beno3:
Who send am go there?

This is a cruel comment