BREAKING NEWS: NIGERIA AIR FORCE LOSES THE FIRST AND ONLY FEMALE FLYING OFFICER OF COMBAT HELICOPTER

Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the first and only flying female officer of Combat helicopter in Nigeria Airforce died on Tuesday as a result of head injuries sustained from the road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna. 

In a statement released by the Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Airforce,  Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, announced the demise of the Flying Officer Arotile in Abuja. The deceased pilot was winged last year by Chief of Air Staff,  Air Marshall Saddique Abubakar in Abuja. 

The Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in service. 



The NAF spokesman said that during her short but impactful stay in the service, late Arotile who hails from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State,  contributed significantly to the effort to rid the North Central  States of armed bandits and other criminal elements by flying several combat missions under OPERATION GAMA AIKI in Minna, Niger State. 

He said the Chief of the Air Staff,  Air Marshall Saddique Abubakar,  on behalf of officers,  airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, commiserate with the family of late Flying Officer Arotile over the irreparable loss.