By Gideon Njoku
Two people have been arrested over the alleged freak vehicle accident which killed Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s First Female Combatant Pilot.
The two male suspects are in the custody of the Nigeria Airforce, while investigations are on.
In a death that broke many hearts, Aritole, 24, was killed, according to the NAF, by her former classmate who, excited at seeing her, wanted to greet her. He, allegedly, inadvertently, knocked her down as he was reversing his car. She died of head injuries. The accident happened inside the NAF base, Kaduna.
With the arrest, NAF is disclosing for the first time since the accident that there might have been two people in the car; that it was not just the classmate.
Announcing the arrest of the two, and subsequent investigation of the fatal accident, NAF’s spokesperson, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said:”The investigation is on, and whatever information that needs to go out will go out.”
The identity of the classmate who, allegedly, inadvertently, killed her has not been mae public, nor that of the second arrested person.
A number of groups and individuals, including her inconsolable family, have raised doubts over the cause of her death inside the Kaduna Airforce Base.
Her elder sister, with whom she lived, cast a doubt on the story, and called for an inquiry into what killed her. She said her sister, who had just returned from an assignment, was sleeping when she received a phone call, allegedly from a superior officer, who required her attention at the base. She said the Pilot was tired, and that she offered to drop her off.
An hour later, she was told her sister was dead.
The apex Yoruba Cultural group, Afenifere, 18 other groups, and the Are Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, insist they smell foul play, and have called for a full, and thorough investigation.
Their questions are:Inside the base, at what speed could she have been knocked down? Did Arotile not see the car reversing? And was the driver driving blind? No side mirrors? Was she knocked down after, or before the greetings? Was she knocked down from the front, or back?
Arotile will be buried on July 23, with full Military Honours, at the Abuja Military Cemetery.
