By Adesina Soyooye
It has been confirmed that Nigeria’s First Female Combat Pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, whose death, on Wednesday, broke the hearts of outraged Nigerians was, accidentally, killed by his classmate.
In a second official statement since her death was made public, a devastated Nigeria Airforce, HAD, said the 24 year old was, accidentally, hit by a car, driven by an unnamed former classmate of hers in the NAF Secondary School.
The unnamed classmate, excited at seeing her, stopped to greet her.
Unfortunately, said the release issued by NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the classmate hit her while reversing the car. Mowed down, she hit her head on the tarmac. She died of head injuries in the hospital she was rushed to.
The statement reads in part: “Flying Officer Aritole died on July 14, 2020, at the age of 24, when she was, inadvertently, hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Airforce Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her.
“Before her untimely death, Flying Officer Aritole made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry, and other forms of criminality in the country, flying several combat missions.”
The accident happened at the NAF Base, Kaduna.
She was said to have joined NAF out of passion for the job.
She hailed from Ijumu LGA of Kogi state, but her parents live in Kaduna, where she was, also, brought up.
Meanwhile, her death has been greeted with disbelief and outrage by Nigerians who are asking for answers, and insisting on a thorough investigation into her death.
More details, later…
