Nothing can be more devastating than the death of a child. It becomes ultimate tragedy if the child is one like Tolulope, who the father, Engineer Akintunde Arotile described as a wonderful child who combined intelligence with hard-work.
But the grieving father is consoling himself on the daughter’s fulfilment of her childhood dreams before her death.
He told journalists at his GRA Lokoja residence on Wednesday, that his late daughter, Tolulope Arotile, was able to achieve her dreams as a little girl before her death. He recalled how, at a very tender age, Tolulope pointed to one small aircraft packed on the field and said “Dad, one day I am going to fly that aircraft.” “From that day, she started working towards that and by the grace God, she secured admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. “She bagged a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics from the NDA and became an Airforce Cadet.
From there she was sent on several courses abroad and became a pilot. I just thank God that she was able to achieve her dreams as a baby before her death,” he said.
Recounting his last conversation with his late daughter, Engr. Arotile said “just yesterday at about 1pm, I called her because she just came back from an operation against the bandits in Katsina. They gave them one week to rest and so she was sleeping and told me she was in bed resting.
“She said she will later go out to make some photocopies and I told her not to be long and to return home on time. She stays with my first daughter in Kaduna.
“However, around 5.30 pm, somebody called me and asked if I have called her today and I said yes. Then the person told me to call her again which I did, but there was no response.
“I became apprehensive and so I called her colleagues and they were all crying on phone. I asked what happened, they were just crying, so I called one of her bosses who told me that she is in the mortuary. I said, ‘this is someone I spoke with 4 hours ago and by 5 pm she was in the mortuary?’.
“I had to drive to Lokoja from Abuja to enable me inform her mother physically because I could not break such news on phone, but when I came, she had gone to the prayer mountain. She came back around 8.30 and I told her what I heard, though not confirmed yet.”
He commended the Airforce authority for identifying with the family in their time of grieve. He stated that the support from Airforce authority has been overwhelming.
Engineer Akintude Arotile worked with Transmission Company of Nigeria and retired last year as a power engineer. Tolulope Arotile was the first female combat helicopter pilot in Nigeria.
Arotile’s death, national tragedy – Bello
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has described the death of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile as a shocking and devastating national tragedy.
The Kogi-born FO, who died in a car accident on Tuesday in Kaduna State, hailed from the Ijumu Local Government Area of the state.
Arotile was the first female Combat Helicopter Pilot in the history of the Nigerian Air Force.
In a condolence message signed by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, Bello described Arotile as not only a combat pilot but a fantastic aviator who reached the sky in her professional calling at a very tender age of 23.
The statement partly read, “Late Flying Officer Arotile brought the country to a standstill on the 15th of October 2019 when she was decorated as the first female combat Helicopter Pilot. This was a huge honour to her family and state, the nation, and the entire women in the country and beyond.
“As a trained military aviator, with a blend of professionalism and patriotism, Arotile’s engagement in air-to-ground combat in rooting out armed bandits and other criminal elements in the country, particularly in the North Central region was a sacrifice that cannot be forgotten.
“We are devastated by the tragic death of this young promising lady who took bravery to the next level, demystified prejudicial stereotype and flew her parents, state and nation high in honour and professionalism.
“On behalf of the state, I commiserate with the family of late Flying Officer Arotile over this irreparable loss and I pray that the Almighty God grants her soul eternal rest, She will be sorely missed.”
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