By  David  Mark
Mike and I met at the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) as young cadets in 1967, and we became
inseparable course mates, friends and confidants. Together, we confronted the challenges of those days with  determination to make success of our lives.

Our brotherhood was so strong that colleagues and friends called us (myself, Mike and Tunde) the 3 Musketeers. I was particularly close to him because whilst in the NDA I had initially wanted to join the Navy but fate would later place me in the Army. Yet, there was never a distance between us.

*Akhigbe

From our  first contact at the entrance interview, we took to each other. He simply called me Dave and I gave him the name NNS Fearless. A nickname that later trailed him for the rest of his life. Mike was very brave, courageous, compassionate, diligent, fearless , patriotic, magnetic and witty.

He was more than a friend and course mate to me. He was my brother, counsellor, confidant and a comrade-at-arms. We shared in each other’s triumphs and moments of pain. Our families shared our friendship and comradeship.

I remember the last time we spoke. And this was on the phone. He told me,and very courageously too, that he has reached the end of  the road and that I will not see him again in this world.

If Mike had thought that my knowledge of his health condition as well as the tone of courage that laced his words will help me in assimilating the thunderbolt of news that hit me, he was wrong. My courage caved and I felt like the voice and the words I heard were not those of NNS Fearless. I quickly expressed a strong objection to his statement and encouraged him not to say a thing like that again. I courageously assured him that he would come out of his health condition stronger and we shall gather together very soon to celebrate his recovery.

But he stood his grounds saying and categorically told me that it was only a matter of time. This time, his voice was forceful and reverberating. Then there was a silence before we said goodbye. And that turned out to be the last banter that we shared.

It has pleased God to call him at this time, and as mortals we are always bound by the will of Almighty God. His death is a huge personal loss to me. It is a loss to the members of Third Course Alumni, the Armed Forces, EdoState and indeed, Nigeria. His wise counsel will be greatly missed, and I will personally miss it. My consolation is that while he was with us, he lived his life in the service of God and mankind. I therefore urge the wife and the children to take solace in the good works that God used Mike to do while on earth.

Goodnight my brother, confidant and comrade-at-arms.

Goodnight FEARLESS

May the angels lead your soul to heaven till we meet at the feet of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to part no more. Goodnight!