Bature practically swept all the awards on offer during the Passing out Parade at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. He was so outstanding his statue was unveiled to perpetuate the memory of his sheer brilliance, focus, hard work and exceptional life of discipline.
According to military sources, by having his life size statue erected at the NDA (a relatively new tradition in the academy), he joins other exceptional cadets before him in the military Hall of Fame.
But he surpasses them all still: 2nd Lieutenant Ahmed Buhari Bature has set a record that will be difficult to match, much less beaten.
22-year-old Bature, from Sokoto State, is described by officers at the NDA as charismatic, hardworking and highly disciplined.
When a child does well, the whole village celebrates him. An elated spokesman to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State announced on Twitter and Facebook: “He won every accolade on offer. A statue was errected in his honor.”
Bature joined the academy in 2012 to study for a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Computer Science. Through his consistent, sheer brilliance and discipline, he was said to have become a prep winger within a short time.
This means he was training other cadets who joined the academy for short service.
It is said that his going to England for further training at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst had to be deferred because he had become so valuable at training and mentoring other cadets.
He not only emerged the best in his department; in the final year of his training at the academy, he emerged as the Academy Cadet Adjutant (ACA).
The ACA, according to military sources, is the most senior/powerful cadet, and more or less the de facto administrator of his set in the academy. He oversees all the affairs of his (cadet) set and liaises with the military authorities in the academy on their behalf.
He is respected (indeed, feared) by his set and exercises vicarious authority on behalf of the military leadership in areas of discipline, welfare, training, drills and so on.
