*How she died
*Why she joined Nigerian Air Force
*NAF preliminary report on her death
As Nigeria’s first female Combat Helicopter Pilot, Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile goes home today, several Nigerians are yet to come out from the shock of her early demise.
Flying Officer Arotile who died following head injuries sustained in Kaduna, when her Classmates of Airforce Secondary School accidentally hit her is set for burial today at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
The sad development has subsequently instilled the message to Nigerians that anyone could experience the same fate anytime in life.
Arotile, a shining light in the Nigerian Airforce, NAF, treated as the gold piece in the force, little did she know that while leaving home after receiving a call to report to the office would be her last day alive on earth.
According to NAF, “Her unfortunate demise has elicited an overwhelming outpouring of condolences, prayers and support to the NAF as well as the Arotile Family. This has no doubt been so, not just for Tolulope’s outstanding accomplishments at the tender age of 24, but also because of her sterling personal qualities of excellence, hard work, dedication to duty, confidence and courage, which endeared her to her superiors, subordinates and peers in the Service.”
A friend of her, simply identified as Zubair Adam, stated that her death is a great loss to Nigeria, adding, “I wish the NAF more grace on their work.
“This story is an unbelievable accident inside the airforce base, however, her years of great impact in Nigeria will continue to speak till the end of this world.
READ ALSO: Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Arotile dies in accident
“May God bless and protect our Nigerian arm forces, willing and ably ready.
Biography
Born on 13 December 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile in Kaduna, Flying Officer Tolulope, hails from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Flying Officer Arotile attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 to 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 to 2011 before she later gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of 64 Regular Course on 22 September 2012.
She was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on 16 September 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Flying Officer Arotile was winged as the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force on 15 October 2019, after completing her flying training in South Africa.
She holds a commercial pilots’ license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy. Incidentally, she introduced the newly acquired Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, during the induction ceremony at the Eagle Square in Abuja on 6 February 2020.
Why I joined the Nigerian Air Force
While several Nigerians go into their various profession in search of greener pastures, one would wonder why the 25 years old joined the NAF.
iBrandTV gathered that Flying Officer Arotile joined the profession joined the Nigerian Air Force out of a passion for the job.
READ ALSO: Tolulope Arotile to be buried on Thursday in Abuja Cemetery – NAF
Before her death, she said: “I joined the military simply out of passion for it. Being a military personnel has been a long time ambition, the carriage and what it stands for are simply exceptional.”
How she died
On 14 July 2020, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), and indeed the entire Nation, was thrown into mourning as a result of her death.
Flying Officer Arotile died on 14 July 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her.
According to her elder sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, “I and Tolu were in the room on the day of the incident, a call came into her phone which she picked but from the way they spoke, I knew the caller must be a senior officer calling her to come to Airforce Base. She felt reluctant and I offered to drop her off.
“One hour later, I saw the story online that something serious has happened to her. I couldn’t believe that somebody I just dropped off was dead
NAF react to her loss in road traffic accident in Kaduna
Social media attacks the cause of her death
Nigerians seem not to be cool about the circumstances that led to her death. Even the family insisted that they carry a special investigation on the true cause of her early demise.
Following the development and pressures from her family, friends and even social media, the NAF launched an inquest to present the actual fact and details leading to her death.
A statement from the NAF, reads: “Unfortunately, because of the peculiar circumstances of the incident that led to her death, a rash of falsehoods, innuendos, conspiracy theories and the likes have been propagated in the public space, especially on Social Media. The NAF sincerely hopes that the findings of the just-concluded preliminary investigation into this unfortunate and painful incident will address the misinformed issues raised in the Social Media on the tragedy.
READ ALSO: Tolulope Arotile: 2 detained, as Airforce commences inquest into Flying Officer death
“Moreover, while it would have been ideal for the entire investigation to be concluded before details on the incident are released, the NAF, in sensitivity to public concerns occasioned by the spread of false information, appreciates the imperative to provide more clarity at this very difficult moment.
“Please note that the details being revealed today have already been communicated to the Arotile Family, who ideally should be allowed to mourn their daughter and sister in peace, but for the unfortunate nature of the sad occurrence.
Preliminary investigation findings
READ ALSO: Northern Governors mourn first Nigerian female helicopter pilot
Before her untimely death, Flying Officer Arotile made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry and other forms of criminality in the Country, undertaking several combat missions.
