Tolulope Arotile Death: Sister Speaks Out, Demands Investigation

Damilola Adegboye, the elder sister of Tolulope Arotile, has demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of her sister.

In a statement issued on July 15, 2020, the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) revealed that the deceased, Tolulope Arotile, who was Nigeria’s First female combat helicopter pilot, died as a result of head injuries she sustained from an accident in the Nigerian Air force Base, kaduna.

The statement from the force read in parts, ”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.’

There are Fears that the cause of tolulope’s death was not a mere accident as her sister Damilola Adegboye, recounts the day the incident happened.

Damilola. stated that the family is not convince about the report on the circumstances surrounding their sisters death and demands an investigation into the case.

In an interview with The Punch, Damilola said she and the deceased were sleeping in a room before she received a call.

“We in the family are not convinced that Tolu can just die like that in a freak accident. I know that the military is well trained in the art of investigation, we want them to carry out a thorough investigation that can convince us beyond all doubts that the incident that led to her death was real.”

”I and Arotile were sleeping in a room before she received a call.

“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 read online that something serious had happened to her. I couldn’t believe that somebody I just dropped off is dead,” she explained.

Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, also called for an investigation  into the death of Nigeria’s First female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin.

See statement below;

“Nigeria the demented chicken sucked one of its finest eggs yet again with the killing of flying officer Tolulope Arotile on the road in Kaduna on Tuesday.

“A statement by the Nigerian Air Force told some truth that she died but spewed some untruth in saying that: ‘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.’

“It was only eyewitness accounts that unofficially released that it was a colleague of hers who reversed his car to knock her down on the road.

“The statement added that, ‘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 hails 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.’

“Unofficial accounts say she just returned from a combat operation before she was knocked down to death.

“We, therefore, do not accept that her death was an accident until the report of a coroner says how she died and how a supposed attempt to stop and greet could come with a deadly impact.

“We say this against what is known of the infiltration of the forces by sympathizers and agents of Boko Haram

“We recall the report years back of such agents revealing the routes and timing of movements of our troops to Boko Haram who ambushed them.

“The inquiry should look into all the links of the colleague who killed her and we must know the identity.

“Meanwhile, we sympathize with the grieving family of Tolulope who has been thrown into deep mourning following the killing of their ft daughter not in combat but within the barrack. “May her soul rest in peace.”

About Tolulope Arotile

Tolulope Arotile was born in Kaduna on the 15th of December 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile.

She was a native of Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. She attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 to 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 to 2011.

Later on, she gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of 64 Regular Course on 22 September 2012. There, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Arotile was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on 16 September 2017.

She went on to take up flying training at the Starlite Academy in South Africa. Upon completion, she became winged as the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force on 15 October 2019.

She holds a commercial pilot license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy.

On Tuesday 14 July 2020, Flying Officer Arotile died at the age of 24 from complications in a car accident.