By Williams Anuku, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday disclosed the identity of the secondary school classmate who caused the death of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.
Releasing the preliminary result of the investigation conducted to unravel the cause of the death, NAF said Arotile died as a result of blunt force trauma and too much bleeding after she was hit by a car driven by Nehemiah Adejoh.
It said since the matter is a civil case, it would be handed over to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), and that the suspect would be charged to court accordingly.
Tolulope Arotile died in Kaduna on Tuesday at Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base after involving in a minor car accident.
According to The PUNCH, she was said to have been hit by a car driven by a former classmate who wanted to greet her.
The unnamed ex-classmate was reportedly reversing the car when it hit Arotile who fell and hit her head on the tarmac.
She subsequently died while receiving treatment at the hospital where she was taken to.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Air Com. Ibikunle Daramola revealed this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
It stated, “Flying Officer Arotile died on July 14, 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her.
“Before her untimely death, Flying Officer Arotile made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry and other forms of criminality in the country, flying several combat missions.”
Daramola explained that Arotile joined the Nigerian Air Force out of passion for the job.
Born on December 13, 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile in Kaduna, Arotile hailed from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
May God give her family the ability to bear or withstand the lost. It has destinied that she will die, her classmate should not be charged to the court because is not delibrate.