Razaq Bamidele
Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has asked for Coroner Inquest into the death of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Ms Tolulope Arotile.
Afenifere, in a statement from their National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, regretted that, “Nigeria the demented chicken sucked one of its finest eggs yet again with the killing of flying officer, Tolulope Arotile, on the road in Kaduna on Tuesday.”
According to Afenifere, the statement by the Nigerian Air Force told some truth that she died but spewed some untruth in saying that:
“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.”
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Afenifere’s statement to the Nigerian Air Force reads thus:
“It was only eyewitness accounts that unofficially released that it was a colleague of hers who reversed his car to knock her down on the road.
“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.”
“Unofficial accounts say she just returned from a combat operation before she was knocked down to death.
“Against this background, the organisation, therefore, did not accept that her death was an accident until the report of a coroner says how she died and how a supposed attempt to stop and greet could come with a death impact.
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“We say this against what is known of the infiltration of the forces by sympathisers and agents of Boko Haram.
“We recall the report years back of such agents revealing the routes and timing of movements of our troops to Boko Haram who ambushed them,” Afenifere stated, demanding that an inquiry should look into all the links of the colleague who killed her and the identity must known.
Meanwhile, the group sympathised with the grieving family of Tolulope who have been thrown into deep mourning following the killing of their daughter not in combat but within the barracks.
