First female army Major-General dies, COAS mourns

The Authority of the Nigerian Army has announced the death of the first female military officer to have attained the rank of Major-General in the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Aderonke Kale (retd).

Her death was announced on Saturday in a statement signed by the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja.

Kale, who died on November 8, was the first female to have attained the rank in West Africa. She was also the first woman to command a military hospital in Nigeria.

Lagbaja described her death as a great loss to the Nigerian Army and the military, saying her legacies during her service to Nigeria and humanity will remain indelible in the hearts of many.

“The Nigerian Army has received with heavy heart, but in absolute submission to the divine will of Almighty God, the news of the passing to glory of Major-General Aderonke Kale (retd).

“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 a Major General.

“The Chief of Army Staff, while expressing his commiserations on behalf of officers, soldiers and civilian staff of the Nigerian Army, to the family, relatives and friends of the deceased senior officer, described her demise as a great loss to the Nigerian Army and the military community as a whole.

“Her legacies in her service to Nigeria and humanity will remain indelible in the hearts of many. Kale was renowned for reshaping the face of women and gender mainstreaming in the Nigerian military,” BrigadierGeneral Nwachukwu noted in the statement.