Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile is dead.
Spokesman for the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Ibikunle Daramola who announced her death late Tuesday in a statement titled ‘The Nigerian Air Force has lost the only female helicopter combat pilot’ stated that Arotile died from head injury sustained in road accident at NAF Base in Kaduna State.
He said Arotile, until her death was fully involved in the war against terrorism and armed bandits in the north central states.
“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.
“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.
“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,” the statement read.
Arotile recently completed a programme at the Starlite International Training Academy, South Africa.
She was commissioned in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64 and later became the first female combat helicopter pilot in the service in Nigeria.
