Admin l Wednesday, July 15, 2020
LAGOS – Nigeria is mourning the sudden death young Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile, first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force.
Tolulope Arotile who is barely 24 was decorated at a very tender age. Incidentally it was Arotile who 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.
Tolulope Arotile holds a commercial pilots’ license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy.
At the induction ceremony, the President who could not hold himself continued to cast a very surprising look at the courage of Arotile who had qualified as the first female combat helicopter flying officer at such a tender age. More so, Tolulope Arotile qualified at a time that Nigeria needed qualified combat officers to confront the diehard Boko Haram insurgent.
But before she could reap the reward of her courage, death came calling. The President is shattered beyond words.
“President Muhammadu Buhari received with deep pain the passing of Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile, condoling with the family on loss of such a promising officer, whose short stay on earth impacted greatly on the nation, especially in peace and security
“The President sympathises with government and people of Kogi State on the loss. President Buhari prays that the Almighty God will receive the soul of the departed, and comfort the family she left behind”, the president said with a heavy heart through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Garba Shehu.
But how did she die? According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the 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.
He explained further in his tribute to the gallant officer.
“Born on 13 December 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile in Kaduna, Flying Officer Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile, hails from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
“She attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 – 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 – 2011 before she later gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of 64 Regular Course on 22 September 2012. Flying Officer Arotile 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.
She holds a commercial pilots’ license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy.
“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.
“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.
“Flying Officer Arotile joined the Nigerian Air Force out of passion for the job. In her words “I joinedq 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”.
“Gone too soon like a candle in the wind, she will be greatly missed by the entire Nigerian Air Force family. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the Service, condoles with the family of late Flying Officer Arotile over this irreparable loss. May her gentle soul continue to Rest In Peace”.
