A posthumous award was on Saturday given to the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air force, Late flying officer Tolulope Arotile by a front line traditional ruler and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The award organised by Ooni of Ife tagged: “Royal African Young Leadership Forum 2021” held in Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, saw this late pilot described as a patriotic Nigerian who serves her country dedicatedly before given up the ghost.
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Arotile contributed significantly to combat operations against insecurity in the northern states of Nigeria. Two years into her career, Arotile had acquired 460 hours of helicopter flight, which was an outstanding performance for a combat pilot. She saw action against the Boko Haram terrorists, several paid tributes to her skill and bravery. In the fight against ISIS.
Arotile died on 14 July 2020 as a result of head injuries sustained in a road traffic accident at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna State, when she was inadvertently hit by the vehicle of a former Air Force Secondary School classmate who was trying to greet her.
More details later…