Tolulope Arotile – First Female Combat Pilot One Year Remembrance
The 15th of July, marked the one year remembrance of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first-ever female combat helicopter pilot.
The Flying Officer, born December 13, 1995, died of head injury within the premises of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Kaduna.
Tolulope Arotile hailed from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi. She attended the Air Force Primary School, Kaduna (2000 to 2005) and the Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna (2005 to 2011). The celebrated pilot gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, as a member of 64 Regular Course, on 22 September 2012.
Arotile held a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the NDA and was commissioned into the NAF on 16 September 2017
She was winged as the first female combat helicopter pilot on 15 October 2019 after completing her flying training in South Africa.
Just two years into her career, Arotile acquired 460 hours of flight, an exceptional milestone that, among others, earned her commendation from President Muhammadu Buhari.
The deceased was renowned for her gallantry and skills, which include flying fighter choppers to areas dominated by bandits and terrorists for aerial strikes.
According to the former Director of Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, stated that its late officer was killed by a “reversing car”.