By Adesina Soyooye
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the Nigeria Airforce, NAF from burying the late Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile, pending a full inquiry on the circumstances surrounding his death.
Arotile, Nigeria’s first female Helicopter Combatant Pilot, died in a vehicle accident which occurred inside the Kaduna Airforce Base, on July 14.
In a release, NAF said she was killed by a former classmate at the Airforce Secondary School, who was excited on seeing her, and inadvertently hit her as he reversed the car to greet her. The NAF said she fell down, hit her head on the tarmac, and died of head injuries.
Outrage and suspicion of foul play have greeted the circumstances surrounding her death. The family wants a full inquiry, hinting the story of her death does not add up.
The NAF has fixed the date for her funeral against July 14. It says the accident is being investigated. Two people are under arrest – the driver, and a passenger that sat in front of the car with him.
But Adegboruwa wants Buhari to halt the funeral, saying the circumstances surrounding her death should be untangled before the funeral. He is, also, requesting for an independent autopsy to know the real cause of death.
In addition, the SAN is asking for answers to ten questions.
*Who drove the car? *Where did the accident happen? * Where was Arotile going to? * A reversing car means it had passed her so, was she trekking? * Was she blind-folded not to see the reversing car to escape? *Were her legs tied? *What kind of medical treatment was she given? * In which hospital was she treated? *Who called her out from her rest after a successful combat on bandits? * Why are there inconsistent statements from the NAF being released in bits and pieces?
He submitted that there is no hurry in buring her, pointing out that: “The inconsistent statements emerging from the Nigerian Airforce, NAF, has not helped to douse the suspicion”
NAF says it would give an update on its preliminary investigation on the death on Sunday.
