Two boys detained over Arotile’s death, says NAF

THE Nigerian Air Force said it has commenced investigations to unravel the circumstances that led into the death of its gallant flying officer, Tolulope Arotile.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement stated that the combat pilot who died on July 14 2020, would be laid to rest on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

“The remains of late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile who died on July 14 will be laid to rest with full military honours at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja on July 23.” It stated.

The air force had earlier explained that the female officer sustained head injuries from the accident when she was “inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force secondary school classmate while trying to greet her,” but a number of Nigerians believed there was more to the sudden death combat pilot, thereby requesting for through investigation.

Tolulope’s family also rejected the road accident explanation and called for a thorough investigation.

However, The Nigerian Air Force also stated that a thorough investigation has commenced.

NAF added that two persons were being held but noted that at the end of the investigation, “whatever information needs to go out will go out.”

Daramola, said: “First of all, in my first statement, I said she died from a road traffic accident. I further clarified the nature of the road traffic accident where one of her excited classmates who saw her reversed his car which led to him hitting her and knocking her down. This led to head injuries and a lot of haemorrhaging which ultimately resulted in her death.

“The two boys are in custody and the NAF will do a thorough investigation into the matter. It is a routine process – our own processes that are ongoing because it happened inside a NAF base. At the appropriate time, whatever information needs to go out will go out. But we cannot pre-empt that investigation process.

“Whatever needs to be known will be known; it is standard practice. So, we are investigating the circumstances leading to her death by a road traffic accident. It is an investigation because it may go beyond NAF.”

Tolulope was born on December 13, 1995, into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Akintunde Arotile, the native of Iffe area in Ijumu Local Council of Kogi State.

THE Nigerian Air Force said it has commenced investigations to unravel the circumstances that led into the death of its gallant flying officer, Tolulope Arotile.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement stated that the combat pilot who died on July 14 2020, would be laid to rest on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

“The remains of late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile who died on July 14 will be laid to rest with full military honours at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja on July 23.” It stated.

The air force had earlier explained that the female officer sustained head injuries from the accident when she was “inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force secondary school classmate while trying to greet her,” but a number of Nigerians believed there was more to the sudden death combat pilot, thereby requesting for through investigation.

Tolulope’s family also rejected the road accident explanation and called for a thorough investigation.

However, The Nigerian Air Force also stated that a thorough investigation has commenced.

NAF added that two persons were being held but noted that at the end of the investigation, “whatever information needs to go out will go out.”

Daramola, said: “First of all, in my first statement, I said she died from a road traffic accident. I further clarified the nature of the road traffic accident where one of her excited classmates who saw her reversed his car which led to him hitting her and knocking her down. This led to head injuries and a lot of haemorrhaging which ultimately resulted in her death.

“The two boys are in custody and the NAF will do a thorough investigation into the matter. It is a routine process – our own processes that are ongoing because it happened inside a NAF base. At the appropriate time, whatever information needs to go out will go out. But we cannot pre-empt that investigation process.

“Whatever needs to be known will be known; it is standard practice. So, we are investigating the circumstances leading to her death by a road traffic accident. It is an investigation because it may go beyond NAF.”

Tolulope was born on December 13, 1995, into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Akintunde Arotile, the native of Iffe area in Ijumu Local Council of Kogi State.