Nigeria’s mourn death of first female combat helicopter pilot, Arotile, who died at 23

By our reporter| Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile is dead, eight months after she was commissioned as Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.

This was contained in a statement signed by Air Force spokesman, Ibikunle Daramola, and obtained by Channels Television on Wednesday.

She was just 23.

“It is with great sorrow that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) regretfully announces the unfortunate demise of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died today, 14 July 2020, as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna,” the statement read.

“Until her death, ‪Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Service.

“During her short but impactful stay in the Service, late Arotile, who hailed from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, contributed significantly to the efforts to rid the North Central States of armed bandits and other criminal elements by flying several combat missions under Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, Niger State.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, commiserates with the family of late ‪Flying Officer Arotile over this irreparable loss. We pray that the Almighty God grants her soul eternal rest.”

Arotile was commissioned along with 12 others, including Kafayat Sanni, the country’s first female fighter pilot.

While decorating her alongside Kafayat Sanni, the first female fighter pilot, the chief of air staff, Sadiq Abubakar had said, “They are not only female officers but outstanding aviators. While one of the two pilots is the first female fighter pilot in the 55 years history of the NAF, the second one is the first female combatant helicopter pilot.”

Nigerians Mourn….

Meanwhile, Nigerians in their numbers taken to social media to grief over the death of the first female combat helicopter pilot.

Senate president, Ahmad Lawan, on Twitter, said, “The news of the demise of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, which I woke up to read this morning is very sad and unfortunate.”

Former senator, Shehu Sani, tweeted, “It’s sad to learn that few minutes after I passed the NAF Airforce Base Kaduna, a tragic accident happened which took away the life of one of Nigeria’s finest and first female combat Helicopter Pilot, Tolulope Arotile. A great loss to our country. May her soul Rest In Peace.”

Former Senate president, Bukola Saraki also wrote, “I woke up to read the very sad news of the unfortunate passing away of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile – Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.”

Ebuka Uchendu, a television host equally tweeted, tweeted, “Literally just scrolled through the news of Tolulope Arotile, Fahim Saleh and Jahreau Shephard’s deaths simultaneously on my timeline. It’s too much.”

The tweets continued to pour in as the report is being published.