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The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has revealed more details on the demise of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot who died on Tuesday, July 14.
MERIDIAN SPY reported Wednesday, Arotile died from head injuries after a road traffic accident at NAF Base, Kaduna.
However, according to a statement released by Air Com. Ibikunle Daramola, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, on Wednesday, the 24-year-old from Kogi State was said to have been hit by a reversing car driven by one of her secondary school classmates who wanted to greet her.
“Flying Officer Arotile died on July 14, 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former classmate at the Air Force Secondary School while trying to greet her,” Daramola said in the statement.
“Before her untimely death, Flying Officer Arotile made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country, flying several combat missions.”
It was learnt that the said classmate whose identity was not disclosed has been detained followed the death of the deceased NAF premier female pilot.
Lamenting the death of his daughter, the bereaved father, in an interview with Sahara Reporters, said he called her on the phone on Tuesday July 14, at about 1:00pm on her return from an operation against bandits in Katsina State, and by 5pm, he was informed that she had died and was in the mortuary.
“She told me that she will later go out to make some photocopies and I told her not to be long and to return home on time because she was staying with my first daughter in Kaduna,” he said.
“Around 5:30pm, somebody called me and asked if I had called her and I said yes. The person told me to call her again which I did, but there was no response. So, I called her colleagues and they were all crying on phone. I asked what happened, they were just crying. I called one of her bosses who told me that she was in the mortuary. I was shocked because said she was somebody I spoke with four hours earlier and by 5:00pm she was in the mortuary.”
The President, Muhammadu Buhari also extended his condolence to the bereaved family.
“President Buhari received with deep pain the news of the passing of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, and condoles with the family on the loss of such a promising officer, whose short stay on earth impacted greatly on the nation, especially in peace and security,” the presidency noted in a statement on Wednesday.
“The President salutes Arotile’s bravery in the field to protect the country from onslaught of bandits and terrorists, assuring that her memory will be indelible, and her efforts remembered.
“President Buhari commiserates with the Nigerian Air Force, airmen, airwomen and all friends of the deceased, recalling her deft skills in manoeuvring combat helicopters, which he had physically witnessed with pride.
“The President sympathises with government and people of Kogi State on the loss, and prays that the Almighty God will receive the soul of the departed, and comfort the family she left behind.”
