First Female Combatant Helicopter Pilot Dies
Ibikunle Daramola, spokesman to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), in a statement on Tuesday announced the death of Officer Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first ever female combat helicopter pilot.
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, who hails from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, died barely a year after she was winged as a combat helicopter pilot in the Air Force following the completion of her course.
“It is with great sorrow that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) regretfully announces the unfortunate demise of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died today (yesterday ), 14 July 2020, as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna, ” the statement read in part.
She was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigeria Defence Academy Regular Course 64 and later rose to achieve the distinction of being Nigeria’s first ever female combat helicopter in the service in Nigeria.
Daramola extended the commiseration of Arotile’s death from the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall 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.
