A Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile, has died as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has announced.
Arotile, who died on Tuesday, was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64.
She was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Service, NAF Director of Public Relations Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said in a statement.
“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 efforts 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.
“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, commiserates with the family of late Flying Officer Arotile over this irreparable loss. We pray that the Almighty God grants her soul eternal rest,” the statement added.
