15th July, 2020
By Taiwo Okanlawon
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has described as shocking and painful, the passing of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile.
Arotile died at the age of 23 after sustaining head injuries from a road traffic accident at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Kaduna.
She died less than a year after she was decorated as the first female combatant helicopter pilot.
Reacting to the news, the speaker said the country has lost a great talent.
I received with great shock the death of our country's first female combat pilot, Tolulope Arotile, I saw her months ago display her talent to the admiration of many of us at a @NigAirForce event. Indeed we have lost a great talent! My condolences to the Arotile family and N.A.F pic.twitter.com/GGWYPXib7o
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) July 15, 2020
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.