The Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), on Sunday honoured past coordinators of its defence branches and institutions as part of its end-of-the-year activities.

The President of DEPOWA and Wife of Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Vickie Irabor, said the event was organised to appreciate God’s faithfulness and protection throughout the year.

Irabor said the Muslim sisters had on Friday, gone to the mosque at Mogadishu Cantonment while the Christians were also at the Protestant church on Sunday to thank God for helping and seeing them through in their activities during the year.

She said that DEPOWA and services’ wives associations had a eventful year with successful activities in line with their objectives.

“We are particularly grateful to God for the life of one of us, Mrs Omolara Tuwase, Coordinator of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, who was kidnapped in the Kaduna-bound train on March 28 and released on July 9 after spending 104 days in captivity.

“You can now understand why we went all out to thank God at the mosque and Church at the weekend to show our appreciation to God for his faithfulness towards DEPOWA throughout this year.

“It would be necessary for us to note that the armed forces of Nigeria, in synergy with other security agencies, have been able to secure our nation against adversaries.

“The victory witnessed in 2022, in the theatre of operations across the country is unprecedented.

“This effort has been sustained by our husbands, leading to the relative peace in hitherto troubled parts of the country.

“On behalf of my darling husband, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, and the service chiefs, I would like to use this medium to thank all the officers’ wives across the country for supporting, encouraging and praying for our husbands and the armed forces of Nigeria and its operational engagements,” she said.

The DEPOWA president said the event was to say well done and thank you to all the wives of officers for keeping the home front while their husbands were in the field working to protect the nation.

She said the association conducted a series of non-kinetic activities within and outside the barracks in support of the military’s offensive campaigns against terrorists and other criminal elements.

According to her, DEPOWA and other sister organisations visited wounded troops at the Maimalari Hospital in Maiduguri as well as reach out to the widows of fallen heroes during the year.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four immediate coordinators were honoured for their contributions to the successes recorded by DEPOWA during the year and sent them forth.

Those honoured are the immediate past coordinators of Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre Officers Wives Association (NAFRCOWA), Mrs Nabila Idoko, and that of the National Defence College Officers Wives Association (NDCOWA), Mrs Feyisayo Daji.

Also, past coordinators of Armed Forces Command and Staff College Officers Wives Association (AFCSCOWA), Mrs Oluwasola Alade, and that of the Defence Research Bureau Officers Wives Association (DRBDOWA), Mrs. Judith Uzezi. (NAN)