Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the first-ever and only female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force died in Kaduna on Tuesday, exactly 247 days after her decoration as a flying officer. The tragic incident occurred after she sustained head injuries from a road accident at NAF Base Kaduna.
Tolulope was decorated by Sadique Abubakar, chief of air staff, on the 15th October, 2019 as the first ever Nigerian female helicopter pilot in the 55 years history of the Nigeria Air Force.
Spokesman to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Ibikunle Daramola announced her death in a statement late on Tuesday.
Daramola disclosed that Arotile died as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Arotile died barely a year after she was winged as a combat helicopter pilot in the Air Force following the completion of her course in South Africa.
Describing Arotile’s career as one of “impactful service” who contributed “significantly to the efforts to rid the North Central States of armed bandits and other criminal elements, Daramola said the combat pilot flew several combat missions under Operation Gama Aiki in Minna, Niger State. “We pray that the Almighty God grant her soul eternal rest.” Arotile hails from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. She was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64 and later became a first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the service in Nigeria. Daramola extended the commiseration of Arotile’s death from “the Chief of 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.
Several Nigerians had taken to the social media to react to the sudden demise of the 24 year old flying officer.
President Muhammadu Buhari said he received the news with “deep pain” and sent condolences to her family and colleagues, his aide said in a statement.Buhari recalled he had witnessed Arotile skills in flying combat helicopters and saluted her contributions to the nation’s battle against terrorism and armed banditry attacks.”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,” the statement read.
Senator Sheu Sani, in his tweet said, “It’s sad to learn that 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.”
