Tinubu, Lagbaja Mourn First Female Major General

President Bola Tinubu has sympathised with the Kale family, the Nigerian Army and the society of medical practitioners in Nigeria on the death of Major-General Aderonke Kale (rtd).

Kale, who passed away at 84, is widely acknowledged to be the first female Major-General in the Nigerian Army and the first female commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps. She retired from the Nigerian Army in 1997.

The president in a statement by his media aide , Ajuri Ngelale, described Major-General Kale as a pace-setter and her death as a painful loss to the country.

“Major-General Aderonke Kale was a pioneer in her field. She embodied the courage, professionalism, capacity and resilience of the Nigerian woman. She thrived and conquered where many feared to tread. She was a towering figure; an inimitable role model,” the president said.

Tinubu prayed for the repose of the soul of the late officer and encouraged her family to take solace in the peerless legacy she left behind.

Major-General Kale was a recipient of many awards for her contributions to the field of medicine. She was also a philanthropist who positively impacted many lives.

Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja also described the death of Kale as a great loss to the Nigerian Army and the entire armed forces of Nigeria.

Lagbaja in a statement by the director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said her legacies in the selfless service to Nigeria and humanity would remain indelible in the hearts of many.

He prayed for the repose of her soul and the fortitude for the family to bear the irreplaceable loss

“The shining veteran of the Nigerian Army exuded unequalled commitment, diligence and unquestionable loyalty which paved the way, as she steadily rose through the ranks to become the first female officer of the Nigerian Army to attain the enviable height of Major General,” Lagbaja said.