They say you cannot fight terror with a smile. They say you cannot win a war with kindness. But Brigadier General Rabe proved that true leadership is not about the rank on your epaulets, it is about the humanity in your heart.
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When we speak of the fight against terror, we often speak of firepower and strategy. But what power does one man have to end a crisis? Was he the Commander-in-Chief? No. He was something rarer, a gentleman officer to the core, a soldier who believed that peace is won not just on the battlefield, but in the hearts of the people.
I remember the day vividly. He traced me to my humble abode off Barat Hotel Road, Biogbolo, a place with no street name, no number, just marshy pathways and ordinary lives. My phone rang and a calm voice said, “Oga Sam of Vanguard, I am coming to visit you now. Tell me your location.”
I hesitated. I told him it would be difficult to find. I offered to meet him by the roadside. But he insisted, “Just give me your location.” And I did.
Five minutes later, I looked up to see a smiling, handsome, dark-complexioned officer standing at my gate. I was stunned. “Welcome, Colonel,” I greeted him. “But how did you locate my house easily without a street name or number?”
He laughed, a warm, unguarded laugh that disarmed all my formalities. And then he said words I will never forget:
“I’m in your territory. I needed to say hello to you and your family. Thank you for the good work you are doing for your medium, Bayelsa, and this country.”
In that moment, he was not just a military man. He was a brother, a neighbour, a friend. He understood that security is not built on fear, it is built on trust, on showing up, on honouring the people you are sworn to protect.
That was vintage Rabe.
He served as the Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre for the JTF (Operation Restore Hope) in the Niger Delta, and later as Director of Defence Information and Army spokesperson. But beyond the titles, he was a bridge-builder in a country often divided by suspicion. He carried his authority with grace and his power with humility.
Today, I remember not just a general, but a good man. A man who went out of his way to say “thank you” to a journalist in a modest home. A man who believed that the mission was always bigger than the uniform. So sad to see the video of Rabe helpless in the hands of those bandits and failed by a country he served diligently.
May his lovely soul find solace in the bosom of the Almighty. Rest in peace, General. You showed us that even in the darkest of times, a smile can be the greatest weapon for hope.
*Samuel Oyadongha is a Journalist and writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
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