My Husband Dreamt of the Crash but Still Flew, Olufade’s Widow Laments

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Jennifer, the widow of late Flight Lieutenant Alfred Olufade, yesterday lamented that prior to the crash last Friday, her husband dreamt of it a day before it eventually happened.

Olufade was among the 11 persons that died in the ill-fated Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft aircraft, which was conveying the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, his generals, and their aides to Kaduna before it crashed whilst landing.

In her tribute to the deceased on her Instagram page, the widow who had barely enjoyed her marriage of three months, said when he informed her he was going to Kaduna, she called repeatedly to dissuade him but he didn’t pick.

She wrote, “Letter to my Husband, my Sparkle+ Late flt It AAO. You went too soon, you had bigger dreams and all the dream scattered ah ah ah my inseparable, they’ve scattered us.

“Oh sparkle you left me so early, oh my best friend where do I start from? I am broken and pieced, my heart aches. This wasn’t what you promised me, you said you will always be there for me. Where are you now? Oh 20th of May you took away my rare gem. We were inseparable oh God I am scattered and incomplete.

“Same 20th of May at about 4am you woke me up with fear and said baby baby I had a bad dream. I dreamt that I crashed on your way to Kaduna you said it looked real very real.

“I prayed for you seriously that morning and asked you not to worry. I asked you your mission order and who you were flying with. You told me Flt Lt Asaniyi.

” I said don’t worry you will go and come back. oh my World you did, you went to Enugu, Owerri and back to Abuja. We did video call, we spoke at length and you were just smiling and laughing little did I know that was your last smile and laugh I would see.

“And next message I received was you were going to Kaduna my heart shattered, I smelled danger. I quickly messaged you, saying wow seriously. I started calling you, you didn’t pick, I called and called my Sparkle didn’t pick, why didn’t you pick up, why?

“I wanted to beg you not to go. My heart panicked. You told me you were coming home to eat pounded yam and egusi. I waited for you. How do I imagine myself eating without you? Is that even possible.

“These three months have been heaven to me. We eat together in the same plate, we prayed together, we laughed together and cried together.

“I never imagined loosing you or typing R.I.P. This wasn’t the plan you had for me. We promised to tour the world together, you said you will always be by my side.

“It’s still like a dream that I can’t see you. I know you are coming back to me. All I see are condolence message, how do I stand them? Reading them pierces my heart the more.

“Our Zain, Zion and Zoe didn’t come, ah AAO you left me too soon my all in all. Aboy it’s too much for me to take, our bond was super strong. I feel like a failure I couldn’t stop you could stop Asaniyi oh my God, oh my God you saw this.

” Emmanuel, Emmanuel it’s only you that can comfort me and your mum and Dad and everyone. It’s only you. My Ayodeji, my double joy, I don’t think my joy can ever be complete without you, my Sparkle that lights up my life.

“My hyperactive, super jovial husband always active, I saw them lay you to rest and all I could say was GOD. My God never sleeps nor slumber but at this point I don’t know what to think again o my God.

” I wish you are here now. Oh oh oh oh my heart sings, oh oh oh oh my heart sings oh oh oh…. I am pained my whole wide world is crumbled… where do I picked my pieces from God? I don’t even know what to think. I can’t sleep, can’t eat, I can’t think straight only you God, (sic…).”