IS NIGERIA WORTH DIEING FOR ?
She Kept Sending Voice Notes… But He Was Already Gone.
Esther Uduak, just 24, married her best friend, lance corporal Bassey, 2 years after his passing-out parade from Nigerian army Depot zaria. Their love was young, loud, and full of promise. They texted like teenagers. Called each other “babe” every ten minutes. He made her laugh even from the war front.
When Bassey was deployed to Gwoza, Borno State, Esther made a simple vow:
“No matter how far you go, I’ll talk to you every Friday night.”
So she did. Through voice notes. Every week.
“Baby, Iniobong now has two teeth. She looks so much like you when she smiles.”
“I made your afang soup today and just cried. It doesn’t taste the same without you here.”
“The bed feels colder. Even the baby keeps turning, as if looking for you in her sleep.”
But what Esther didn’t know was this: Bassey had already died in combat.
An ambush.
A silent night.
No chance to say goodbye.
The military needed time for confirmation. So, for weeks, no one told her.
But she kept sending the voice notes. Eleven of them in total.
Sometimes pleading.
Sometimes angry.
Sometimes whispering his name like a prayer.
“You dey vex for me? At least just reply. Or call me with another phone na. I’m tired, Bassey. Just say something... anything.”
The ticks never turned blue. But she hoped. She believed. After all, soldiers don’t die like that, right?
Then on a quiet Sunday morning at 6:43 AM, two soldiers knocked, They said...
“Madam… lance corporal Bassey fell in the line of duty on February 17th. He was a brave man. We’re truly sorry.”
Esther dropped to her knees, screaming so loud the baby woke up crying too.
She played all 11 voice notes that night
Alone.
To a phone that would never ring back.
Her last one was never even sent:
“Iniobong called you ‘Daddy’ today. I cried. Not because I’m happy… but because I don’t know how to tell her that you’re not coming home.”
Now, every Friday, she still records a voice note.
But now… she doesn’t send them.
She plays them to his photo on the wall, next to the flag, next to his boots, still muddy from his last patrol.
“Rest well, Bassey. You are my hero. Our daughter will never forget your name.”
IS NIGERIA WORTH DIEING FOR 😭😭😭?
She Kept Sending Voice Notes… But He Was Already Gone. 😭
Esther Uduak, just 24, married her best friend, lance corporal Bassey, 2 years after his passing-out parade from Nigerian army Depot zaria. Their love was young, loud, and full of promise. They texted like teenagers. Called each other “babe” every ten minutes. He made her laugh even from the war front.
When Bassey was deployed to Gwoza, Borno State, Esther made a simple vow:
“No matter how far you go, I’ll talk to you every Friday night.”
So she did. Through voice notes. Every week.
“Baby, Iniobong now has two teeth. She looks so much like you when she smiles.”
“I made your afang soup today and just cried. It doesn’t taste the same without you here.”
“The bed feels colder. Even the baby keeps turning, as if looking for you in her sleep.”
But what Esther didn’t know was this: Bassey had already died in combat.
An ambush.
A silent night.
No chance to say goodbye.
The military needed time for confirmation. So, for weeks, no one told her.
But she kept sending the voice notes. Eleven of them in total.
Sometimes pleading.
Sometimes angry.
Sometimes whispering his name like a prayer.
“You dey vex for me? At least just reply. Or call me with another phone na. I’m tired, Bassey. Just say something... anything.” 😔
The ticks never turned blue. But she hoped. She believed. After all, soldiers don’t die like that, right?
Then on a quiet Sunday morning at 6:43 AM, two soldiers knocked, They said...
“Madam… lance corporal Bassey fell in the line of duty on February 17th. He was a brave man. We’re truly sorry.”
Esther dropped to her knees, screaming so loud the baby woke up crying too.
She played all 11 voice notes that night
Alone.
To a phone that would never ring back.
Her last one was never even sent:
“Iniobong called you ‘Daddy’ today. I cried. Not because I’m happy… but because I don’t know how to tell her that you’re not coming home.”
Now, every Friday, she still records a voice note.
But now… she doesn’t send them.
She plays them to his photo on the wall, next to the flag, next to his boots, still muddy from his last patrol.
“Rest well, Bassey. You are my hero. Our daughter will never forget your name.” 😭💔