Nigeria’s Airforce Names Hall after Nun Who Died Saving Others in March Inferno

Mr. Alao expressed the conviction that the stories of Sr. Henrietta’s heroic act on the fateful day will continue to remind the younger ones the values of selfless service to humanity.

Sr. Henrietta’s sacrifice, he noted, should also serve as motivation for Airmen and AirWomen of the NAF who are presently deployed to various theatres of operation in the West African country.

“The late Principal by her action exemplified the good shepherd who put the protection and safety of her cubs well above hers, an act that deserved a place in history,” The Nation has quoted the leadership of NAF as saying.

Reports indicated that Sr. Henrietta rescued all the students that were trapped in one of the buildings at the school before the roof of the building caved in on her.

Appreciating NAF for the recognition, the Superior General of SSH, Sr. Monica Rowland expressed hope that the death of Sr. Henrietta “would be a lesson for leaders to be ready to make sacrifices for the led.”

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She also revealed that in honor of the late nun, the Catholic Church in the country had set up  Sr. Henrietta Alokha Endowment Fund “to be made available for indigent children between the ages of six and 17, who are very intelligent but cannot fund their education due to financial constraints.” 

“This is just the first step the church is taking,” she noted adding, “We are planning to do more things to immortalize Sr. Henrietta Alokha.”

The Director of Education in Lagos Archdiocese, Jerome Oduntan described Sr. Henrietta as a “quiet but forthright woman who loved those who were under her care and paid the most precious price for them.”

He added in reference to the late nun, “One can imagine the number of mothers that would have been weeping for their children but instead of them weeping, she volunteered her life.”