Alfred Olufade: NAF pilot in bad dream day before plane crash — widow

Jennifer Olufade, the widow of Flt Lt Alfred Olufade, the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft that killed 11 military officers, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, in Kaduna on Friday, said the late pilot dreamt of the crash a day earlier.

Jennifer, who got married to the late pilot three months ago, disclosed this in an emotion-laden tribute to her husband which she posted on her Instagram page, @joba_star, on Monday.

She said she prayed with her husband when he woke up and narrated the bad dream to her.

She added that after the dream, her husband made successful trips to Enugu and Owerri and returned to Abuja.

Jennifer said when she received a message from him that they were again heading to Kaduna, she tried reaching him to dissuade him from embarking on the trip but without success.

She wrote, “Oh sparkle, you left me so early. Oh, my best friend, where do I start from? I am broken and pierced, my heart aches. This wasn’t what you promised me; you said you will always be there for me.

“On 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 my way to Kaduna.’ You said it looked very real. I prayed for you seriously that morning and asked you not to worry and asked you your mission order and who you were flying with and you told me Flt. Lt Asaniyi.

“I said ‘don’t worry, you will go and come back.’ You went to Enugu, Owerri and back to Abuja. We did video call and also spoke at length and you were just smiling. Little did I know that was your last smile.

“The next message I received was that you were going to Kaduna. My heart shattered, I smelt danger, I started calling you, you didn’t pick. Why didn’t you pick? Why? I wanted begging you not to go.

“These three months have been heaven for me. We eat together in the same plate, we prayed together, we laughed and cried together. This wasn’t the plan you had for me.

“You said you will always be my side. It is still like a dream that I can’t see you. I know you are coming back to me. All I see is condolence messages. How do I stand them? Reading them pierces my heart even more.

“I feel like a failure, I couldn’t stop you, I couldn’t stop Asaniyi, oh my God, Oh My God. You saw this.

Similarly, a childhood friend of late Olufade, Esther David, described the late pilot as a gentle and easy going man.

“He was my very good friend. We were close, very close. I am still in shock; I wish it is all a dream. I haven’t been able to sleep since Friday,” she told Punch.