Pa Adama Aduku: The Nigerian Soldier Who Survived World War II and Lived to 101

Long before Nigeria gained independence, thousands of young Nigerian men were recruited to fight for the British during World War II. Many never returned home. Others came back carrying memories they rarely spoke about for the rest of their lives.

One of those men was Pa Adama Aduku.

Born in 1918 in an area that is now part of present-day Kogi State, Aduku grew up during British colonial rule, a period when Nigeria itself was still finding its identity under foreign administration. Like many young men of his generation, he eventually joined the military during one of the deadliest conflicts in human history.

In 1942, at just 24 years old, Pa Adama Aduku enlisted in the Nigerian military and became part of the Nigerian contingent fighting for the British colonial army during World War II. Nigerian soldiers were deployed to dangerous battle zones far away from home, including Burma and Egypt.

Imagine being a young Nigerian man from colonial West Africa suddenly thrown into the chaos of global war thousands of miles away. Different climate. Different languages. Different enemies. Yet men like Aduku endured it all.

The Burma campaign in particular was brutal. Soldiers battled thick forests, deadly diseases, exhaustion, and fierce fighting against Japanese forces. Many African soldiers received little recognition despite their sacrifices during the war.

After the Second World War ended, Aduku returned to Nigeria in 1946. Like many returning veterans, he tried to settle back into civilian life and left the military shortly afterwards.

But life had other plans.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Pa Aduku revealed that he later rejoined the military in 1950 after his wife had given birth. The decision was likely driven by the realities many Nigerians faced at the time — family responsibilities, financial pressure, and the search for stability in colonial Nigeria.

By 1957, however, he retired from military service permanently at the age of 39.

That could have been the end of his story, but Pa Aduku simply started a completely different chapter.

After leaving the army, he moved into trading and reportedly worked as a trader around Tinubu Square on Lagos Island. Anyone familiar with old Lagos knows Tinubu Square was one of the busiest commercial areas in the city, filled with traders, transport workers, businessmen, and the constant noise that defines Lagos life.

From surviving war zones abroad to hustling in Lagos markets back home, Pa Aduku witnessed different eras of Nigerian history with his own eyes — colonial rule, independence, military governments, and the modern democratic era.

Not many people can say they lived through all of that.

According to reports gathered by OldNaija, Pa Adama Aduku passed away on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, just a few hours before the end of the year.

He was 101 years old.

Many reports described him as the oldest retired Nigerian army officer at the time of his death. His life remains a reminder of the forgotten generation of Nigerian soldiers who fought in foreign wars long before Nigeria became an independent nation.

Today, conversations about World War II often focus on Europe, America, or Asia. But African soldiers were there too. Nigerians fought, suffered, and died in battles that changed global history.

Pa Adama Aduku was one of the last living links to that forgotten chapter. And with his passing, another living memory of colonial-era Nigeria quietly faded away.

Thanks for reading, OldNaija.com.

REFERENCES:

1. Omipidan, T. (2025, December 20). Colonial Rule in Nigeria and Nigeria’s Struggle for Independence – OldNaija. OldNaija. https://oldnaija.com/2014/11/05/colonial-rule-in-nigeria-and-nigerias-struggle-for-independence/
2. Hughes, A, T., Royde-Smith, & Graham, J. (2026, May 4). World War II | Facts, summary, history, dates, combatants, & Causes. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II
3. Adeuyi, S. (2020, January 4). Pa Adama Aduku: Last moments of Nigeria’s oldest WW2. . . Daily Trust. https://dailytrust.com/pa-adama-aduku-last-moments-of-nigerias-oldest-ww2-veteran-by-family/