Family of the late Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile is searching for answers and seeking quick dispensation of justice in the case investigating the incident which led to the death of their daughter

It will be recalled that Arotile, 24  died in an accident on July 14, 2020, at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) base in Kaduna .

The deceased father, Akintunde Arotile, while responding to questions during an interview conducted by Channels Television in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, on Saturday at an event organised by the Kogi state government and unveiling of a cinema movie project in Tolulope’s honour, said he is yet to heal over the sad incident and he is more disturbed by the prolonged case investigating her death.

According to him, his wife, mother to the late Tolulope, is more disturbed as she daily laments over the delayed case with justice yet to be served 10 months after.

He said, “We are trying as a family to put a closure to the whole thing particularly with the case that is still in court. Up till now, it has not been easy. If the case has been concluded we will try and see if we can put a closure to that chapter and we will just mourn her till maybe when I and my wife will die.

“But the case is still on. I don’t even know when the next hearing will be. My wife is so disturbed because of that.

“It’s like you have an open wound that is not healing. If the case is concluded, our minds will be at rest”.

Mr Arotile noted that if only justice can be served as soon as possible, their minds will be put to rest.

“To show that you cannot just kill a serving officer, a pilot in the Air Force Base premises and the case is being treated as nobody.

“You know our normal judicial service system, the case keeps dragging on…that is a problem for us,” he lamented further.

The NAF had earlier in July 2020 released its preliminary report on the death of Tolulope in a car accident at their base in Kaduna.

The Force in the report said that Ms Arotile was killed by her friend who mistakenly hit her with his vehicle.

“Upon recognising their schoolmate, Arotile, after passing her, Mr Adejoh, who was driving, reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction. In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries,” air force spokesperson, Ibikunle Daramola, said in a statement containing the report.

The air force after the release of the preliminary investigation handed over the suspects, which included Nehemiah Adejoh, Igbekele Folorunsho, and Festus Gbayegun to the NAF Base Kaduna.

The news of her death shook the nation, leaving many saddened by her demise at a prime age.

The NAF later immortalised Arotile in September by naming a Pilot’s Crew Room after her.

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Also, the second and third suspects, Folorunsho Igbekele Faith and Gbayegun Deji were charged in connection with the death of the Air Force Officer, Tolulope Arotile.

It will be recalled that Arotile was knocked down and killed by a vehicle driven by her secondary school mate, Nehemiah Adejor on July 14, 2020

The prosecution Counsel, DSP Martins D. Leo, had prayed the court to discharge the second and third suspects, as their investigation did not find them wanting.

The DPP in its submission, told the court that there is no premeditation in the death of the Flying Officer Arotile, but there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the 1st suspect, Nehemiah Adejor for culpable homicide not punishable with death.

While ruling on the motion, the presiding Justice Benjamin Hassan, discharged the second and third suspects, based on the police investigation, which did not find them wanting in addition to the legal advice from the state’s Director of Public Prosecution, Bayero Dari that they have no case to answer.

The suspects were arrested and arraigned by the Kaduna State Police Command.

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The news of 22-year old Computer Science undergraduate of the University of Port Harcourt, Kenneth Gift, his girlfriend, Dandy Spice and mother, Dorah Aninah, arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for suspected computer compromise fraud in Agbor, Delta State and the death of first female combat pilot, Tolulope Arotile hit me about the same time. In a Nigeria where a preponderance of youths get entangled in fraud, literally walking about in a fog on the reason for their existence, you cannot but be downcast on hearing the news of the death of Arotile. I was.

The death of this inspiring young lady shook the entire country. It could not but be so. Arotile was like an oasis in a desert of bad news that had become the middle name of Nigerian youth. So there is such a class of brilliant, committed and patriotic young people here, at a time when all we see is ferment and hopelessness? So people still envision legitimate greatness and work towards it like this young pilot did, achieving renown and garlands at such tender age? So Nigerian youths are not all about internet scam, fraud and silly and slavish thirst to go abroad?

Arotile’s death drew me into the barren rhetoric of questioning human existence all over again. Why did she have to die and not any one of those disreputable fellows who are engaged in illicit scams? Judging by the unholy antecedents of power equations, could Arotile have been parceled for her death as alleged in some quarters? If this is so, why would God allow this machination against a promising icon to fructify?

Whenever I am in a bind about needless deaths like this, I run to philosophy. I have mopped up enough epistles about death from the holy writs that don’t just add up, as they have grossly failed to assuage me. I have heard that being finite, when human beings die, existence continues beyond death and as such, Tolulope may be on a higher assignment from her Maker. This, both theology and philosophy agree, is so since assignments after death have higher and greater value than being in this world.

On why such a young flower like this must wither at plumule, I have heard Martin Heidegger, (1889-1976) in his bid to show that we are a “being toward death” say that, “As soon as we are born, we are old enough to die.” Yet, I am not satisfied. Seeking to satisfy me was Karl Jaspers, the German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher’s position about why Arotile had to die. Death is not the absolute end of the human being, he says, and a human being isn’t merely a physical entity. He is a deathless being, said Jaspers.

To tell you the truth, I am still not satisfied. It is easier to put up with the deaths of human beings who have gone past their prime and have discharged enough assignments on this earthly journey. Indeed, the exit of those whose existence cause pain to mankind is even good riddance to bad rubbish. Not this Amazon, this heroine and a potentially great woman brutally cut down in her prime.

We must find out if indeed Arotile’s Maker willingly called her for a greater assignment. Or that she was wickedly pulled out from this miserable meal that mankind calls an engaging cuisine. Could she have been killed for revenge, to stop her rise in the dog-eat-dog military profession or to revenge her affront against Nigerian enemies in her strike from the air against insurgents?

It is heartwarming that the Nigerian Air Force has promised to probe Arotile’s death. After writing this last sentence which sounded as comforting as the melody of a banjo, I laughed at my own foolishness. What came out of Attorney General of the Federation, Ajibola Ige’s murder? What came out of the murder of Dr. Abayomi Oniororo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs son of Niyi Oniororo in circumstances almost similar to Arotile’s, nineteen years ago? Haven’t I lived long enough in Nigeria to know that good is never requited and bad never gets retribution?

The post Arotile: Mi Lord, permit me to cross-examine death | By Festus Adedayo first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Arotile: Mi Lord, permit me to cross-examine death | By Festus Adedayo appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Kafayat Sanni and Tolulope Arotile, trained in the United States and South Africa respectively were commissioned alongside eleven  other fighter pilots.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar at the induction ceremony which took place at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday also winged the first female Air Warrant officer.  Grace Garba who was elevated last week.

According to Air Marshal Abubakar who conducted the winging alongside other invited guests,  capable human resources was at the heart of the Nigerian Air Force agenda.

He maintained that the force will continue to do everything within the available resources to improve its lot as far as human capital is concerned.

The post Air Force Wings Nigerian First Female Combat Pilot, Others first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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