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  • NAF speaks on ignoring distress calls by Chibok villagers during Boko Haram attacks

    NAF speaks on ignoring distress calls by Chibok villagers during Boko Haram attacks

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has refuted a publication in an online platform, which alleged that it did not respond to calls for support when suspected insurgents attacked Takulashi Village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

    NAF wishes to state that there is absolutely no iota of truth in the spurious allegations that it failed to respond to calls for support following information allegedly obtained by the online platform, which said it received the report on Sunday, Nov. 1, he said.

    “Indeed, we ordinarily would not have responded to such baseless, unfounded allegations but for the need to set the record straight and reaffirm NAF’s commitment to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians, wherever they may reside.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, it must be stated that NAF did not receive any call for support regarding an attack on the Village.

    “Had any such report been received, NAF, in its characteristic responsiveness, would have certainly taken appropriate action,” he said.

    Daramola said that the report rightly remarked that if air support came on time, one or two air strikes would have decimated them.

    He, however, said that no request regarding that was made to the Air Task Force of operation ‘LAFIYA DOLE’ (ATF OPLD) on the said date.

    Accordingly, it was wrong of the report to state, without any basis, that NAF ignored rescue calls.

    “It is pertinent to highlight that NAF, through the ATF OPLD, has flown over 26,000 hours of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and air interdiction missions, as well as close air support missions in the last five years.

    “NAF has been working ‘hand-in-glove’ with other security agencies and has a crop of well-trained, highly-motivated young pilots who are ever ready and willing to respond to emergencies, whenever called upon.

    “It is utterly ludicrous to insinuate that NAF would fail to respond to any such situation, if called upon. The general public is therefore enjoined to discountenance the evidently false report.”

    According to him, “It is equally disingenuous of the online medium to refer to an isolated incident that had its peculiar nuances of pre-disposition to collateral damage as a basis for justifying their blatantly false claims.

    Daramola described the development as smacks of gross unprofessionalism and obvious deliberate intent at mischief.

    He said, as a professional and disciplined force, NAF has and will continue to do its utmost best to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians across the country.

    “We remain resolute in performing our function and will continue to work in synergy with other security agencies to rid the country of insurgents. We will not be distracted by such evidently orchestrated attempts to tarnish the hard-earned and good image of the Service.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that on Nov. 1, insurgents launched an attack on Takulashi village, located in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno, killing at least nine people, abducted seven others, looted scores of houses for food supplies and other items and subsequently burnt them.

  • NAF immortalises Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combatant helicopter pilot

    NAF immortalises Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combatant helicopter pilot

    The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) says it has immortalised the late Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female helicopter combatant pilot.
    The military outfit said it immortalised Arotile by naming a remodelled Pilots Crew Room at the 115 Special Operations Group in Port Harcourt, after the late combatant pilot.
    The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, announced this at the inauguration of the accommodation block at the NAF base in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
    Abubakar, who also inaugurated a newly-built Senior Non-Commissioned Officers’ quarters and a water project, praised Arotile for her outstanding contributions to securing the country.
    “The late Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile, who was the first female combat helicopter pilot in the history of the Nigeria Air Force, died on July 14, at the age of 24.
    “It is with mixed feelings that we are having the pilot crew room here at the Nigeria Air Force’s home of combat helicopters, named in her honour.
    “The immortalisation of Arotile is also significant such that it addresses another area of our policy thrust of assuring our personnel that their sacrifices will never be in vain.
    Abubakar said that NAF would continue to immortalise personnel who paid the supreme price in service to the country to ensure their memories remained fresh in the minds of Nigerians.
    He said that after the death of Arotile, many young Nigerian girls had since indicated interest in joining the Air Force.
    “Also, since Arotile’s demise, no fewer than 12 female officers, who have undoubtedly been motivated by her inspirational life, are currently undergoing flying training to become NAF pilots.
    “So, it could be said that the late flying officer is living in the lives of those coming after her.
    “To this end, I encourage more of our young girls to aspire for career opportunities in the Nigeria Air Force, as there is no limit to what they can achieve,” he added.
    The Air Chief said that under his leadership, progress had been made in infrastructural development and accommodation of personnel in all formations and units across the country.
    According to him, the infrastructural developments in 115 Special Operations Group are aimed at aiding airmen and airwomen at the base to carry out their duties effectively.

  • NAF deploy additional special forces to southern Kaduna

    NAF deploy additional special forces to southern Kaduna

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday deployed an additional 32 special forces to support Operation Safe Haven being executed by the military to restore normalcy to southern Kaduna.

    The Air Officer Commanding (AOC ) Air Training Command Kaduna, AVM Musa Mukhtar said in Kaduna that the deployment was in response to the directive of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar for NAF to support the ongoing operation.

    “We are part of support element going to Southern Kaduna to support the operation safe haven from the Nigerian airforce special forces.

    “I call on the troops to be discipline, remain focused and respect human rights as they go about their operations.

    “We have Operation Thunder Strike which is domiciled in Kaduna to take care of the North West axis, this means the air power will be originated from there.

    “We also intend to carry out our civil military relation hopefully by next week and send a medical team from our hospitals.”

    Mukhtar noted that the operation would be as long as necessary, adding that there were already a contingent of the Defence Special Forces deployed to southern Kaduna, to restore peace in the area.

    “We also have air component Commander to coordinate the air power aspect,” he added.

    The AOC called on the residents of southern Kaduna to avail the troops with all the necessary and genuine information that will assist in the successful execution of the operation.

    “We will process the information and find out its true nature and then act,” he assured.

    Mukhtar also called on the residents to give the military all the necessary cooperation, saying “we are there to assist the civil populace and not to harm them.”

    The troops deployed two officers, 28 soldiers and two medical staff.

  • Why we didn’t conduct autopsy on Arotile’s corpse before burial – NAF

    Why we didn’t conduct autopsy on Arotile’s corpse before burial – NAF

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said no autopsy was carried out on Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile because the family of the deceased was satisfied with the explanation on what led to her death.

    According to the air force, Arotile, who was Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, died at the NAF base, Kaduna, after being hit by a car driven by her former classmate with two others on board.

    However, NAF added that the circumstances surrounding her death were clear and no autopsy was needed or demanded by the family.

    Daramola said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Friday.

    He said, “On the issue of autopsy or otherwise that would have been initiated by the family but based on discussions with them and the fact that witnesses were there at the time she was taken to the Nigerian Air Force hospital in Kaduna, there were no doubts as to the cause of death which was head injury as a result of blunt force trauma caused by the vehicle hitting her from the rear.

    “So, in consultation with her family, her father, Akintunde Arotile, said they wanted closure on this matter and that he was comfortable with the Nigerian Air Force’s investigation which of course is also being transferred to the police.

    “Autopsy was not done because it wasn’t requested, the cause of death was already known based on the investigation and how she was taken to the hospital and the confirmation was made. There were no doubts in that regard and there was no request from the family for that specifically. No autopsy was done.”

    Daramola further stated that the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps were invited to investigate the incident.

    He said, “First of all, we carried out a preliminary investigation to determine those who were involved, their level of involvement, interviewed witnesses and looked at the scene. That was our own first phase of investigation because it happened on the base.

    “The air force has its own air police directorate where we have forensic and K9 investigators many of whom are trained in and out of the country. Some of them also trained in police institutions and there is a lot of collaboration between the Nigerian Air Force Air Police Wing and the Nigeria Police. Immediately it occurred, we involved the police.”

    The spokesman noted that the person that drove the car, Nehemiah Adejoh, which knocked down Arotile was not 36 but 24 and was a junior of the deceased in the Nigerian Air Force Secondary School.

    Daramola said the case would be handed over to the police today.

  • Nigerian Air Force reveals core cause of Tolulope Arotile’s death [FULL REPORT]

    Nigerian Air Force reveals core cause of Tolulope Arotile’s death [FULL REPORT]

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has revealed the core cause of the death of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information made the revelation at a press briefing on Sunday.

    Read full report below:

    1. On 14 July 2020, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), and indeed the entire Nation, was thrown into mourning as a result of the death of one of our shining young stars in the person of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the NAF’s first female combat helicopter pilot.

    Her unfortunate demise has elicited an overwhelming outpouring of condolences, prayers and support to the NAF as well as the Arotile Family. This has no doubt been so, not just for Tolulope’s outstanding accomplishments at the tender age of 24, but also because of her sterling personal qualities of excellence, hard work, dedication to duty, confidence and courage, which endeared her to her superiors, subordinates and peers in the Service. Unfortunately, because of the peculiar circumstances of the incident that led to her death, a rash of falsehoods, innuendos, conspiracy theories and the likes have been propagated in the public space, especially on Social Media. The NAF sincerely hopes that the findings of the just-concluded preliminary investigation into this unfortunate and painful incident will address the misinformed issues raised in the Social Media on the tragedy.

    2. Moreover, while it would have been ideal for the entire investigation to be concluded before details on the incident are released, the NAF, in sensitivity to public concerns occasioned by the spread of false information, appreciates the imperative to provide more clarity at this very difficult moment. Please note that the details being revealed today have already been communicated to the Arotile Family, who ideally should be allowed to mourn their daughter and sister in peace, but for the unfortunate nature of the sad occurrence.

    3. In line with the normal procedure in the Nigerian Air Force during such occurrences, an investigation was immediately instituted to formally determine the circumstances of the incident. Accordingly, the preliminary investigation has revealed the following details:

    a. The Late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, a Squadron Pilot at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (405 HCTG) Enugu, attached to the Air Component of Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, having recently completed her Promotion Examinations, was in Kaduna awaiting deployment for her next assignment. During this period, she stayed with her sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, at Sabo Area in Kaduna, visiting the NAF Base whenever necessary.

    b. On 14 July 2020 at about 10.55am, Late Flying Officer Arotile received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu, requesting that she comes to the Base so that they could work out the modalities. Subsequently, at about 10.58am, the Late Arotile placed a call through to Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, the Group Operations Officer (GOO) of 405 HCTG, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment. It must be highlighted that the call FROM Flying Officer Karimo as well as the one TO the Squadron Leader Batubo both took place before 11.00am, over 5 hours before the incident which led to her death.

    c. Flying Officer Arotile was later conveyed from Sabo to the NAF Base Kaduna by her sister, Mrs Adegboye, where the Deceased dropped her phone for charging at a house in the Instructor Pilots’ Quarters belonging to Squadron Leader Alfa Ekele. Her elder sister later dropped her off at the Base Mammy Market at about 4.00pm, where she proceeded to photocopy and laminate some documents. It was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that 3 of her former schoolmates at the Air Force Secondary School (now Air Force Comprehensive School) Kaduna; Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with Registration Number AZ 478 MKA. It is noteworthy that Messrs Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun are all civilians who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, but were on their way to visit one Mrs Chioma Ugwu, wife of Squadron Leader Chukwuemeka Ugwu, who lives at Ekagbo Quarters on the Base.

    d. Upon recognising their schoolmate, Arotile, after passing her, Mr Adejoh, who was driving, reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the Deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction. In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries.

    e. Flying Officer Arotile was subsequently rushed to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for treatment, while Mr Folorunsho (one of the occupants of the vehicle) who is also an Accident & Emergency Nurse at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital Kaduna, administered First Aid.

    f. Flying Officer Arotile was confirmed dead by the On-Call Doctor at the 461 NAF Hospital at about 4.45pm on 14 July 2020, as a result of the head injuries.

    g. The trio of Messrs Nehemiah Adejoh, Igbekele Folorunsho and Festus Gbayegun were immediately detained at the Air Provost Wing, 453 Base Services Group Kaduna as investigations began. They were subjected to Toxicology Tests at the 461 NAF Hospital but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their systems. It was however discovered that the driver of the vehicle, Mr Nehemiah Adejo, did not have a valid driver’s license.

    h. Traffic Officers from the Kawo Police Station and the Kaduna State Police Command as well as Road Traffic experts from the Federal Road Safety Corp were also called in to provide support during the investigation.

    4. Having carefully considered the foregoing, the preliminary investigation concluded that:

    a. The death of Flying Officer Arotile was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant bleeding resulting from being struck by the vehicle.

    b. Being a civil case, the matter will be handed over to the Nigeria Police with a view to further investigating and charging the suspects to court in accordance with extant laws.

    5. The Nigerian Air Force, being a highly professional and disciplined organization, will not join issues with any individuals or groups regarding the spurious allegations of ‘foul play’ espoused in some quarters. Suffice it to say that Flying Officer Arotile was a pride of the NAF in whom the Service had invested massively in terms of resources, time and energy. Consequently, it is ludicrous for anyone to even remotely insinuate malevolent intent on the part of the Service against one of its most prized assets.

    6. Furthermore, it is extremely sad and disheartening that, rather than allow the Arotile Family and the Nigerian Air Force to grieve for our dearly departed Tolulope in peace, many have chosen to politicize her death, while others are using the incident to push meritless, misguided ethnic and religious agendas. The Nigerian Air Force wishes to implore everyone to respect the sensibilities of all those who have suffered most by this loss, those who really knew Tolulope – her family, her friends and her Nigerian Air Force colleagues. It is of absolute importance that the memory of this Fallen Hero and our precious child is not tainted by the propagation of misplaced sentiments and wild shenanigans. Before I end this august address, may I respectfully, on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff, the entire personnel of the NAF as well as members of the Arotile Family, express my profound appreciation to all those who in one way or the other have shown concern, support and sympathy over this unfortunate incident. Thank you for your attention.

  • BREAKING: NAF names classmate involved in Tolulope Arotile’s death

    BREAKING: NAF names classmate involved in Tolulope Arotile’s death

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has released the preliminary result of the investigation conducted to unravel the cause of the death of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the NAF made the revelation at a press briefing on Sunday, following requests for a detailed investigation into the cause of Arotile’s death that shocked the country.

    According to NAF, preliminary investigation revealed that Arotile died as a result of blunt force trauma and too much bleeding after she was hit by her secondary school classmate.

    NAF revealed the name of the ex-classmate as Nehemiah Adejoh and said since the matter is a civil case, it would be handed over to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), and that the suspect would be charged to court accordingly.

    According to NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Ibikunle Daramola, two other persons were with Adejoh, who drove the vehicle that hit Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.

    “Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with registration number AZ 478 MKA.

    “It is noteworthy that Messrs Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun are all civilians who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, but were on their way to visit one Mrs Chioma Ugwu, wife of Squadron Leader Chukwuemeka Ugwu, who lives at Ekagbo Quarters on the Base.

    “Upon recognizing their schoolmate, Arotile, after passing her, Mr Adejoh, who was driving, reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction.

    “In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement.

    “The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries,” Daramola said.

    Flying Officer Arotile joined the Nigerian Air Force out of passion for the job, and in her words, “I joined the military simply out of passion for it. Being a military personnel has been a long time ambition, the carriage and what it stands for are simply exceptional”.

    Before her untimely death, Arotile made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry and other forms of criminality in the country, undertaking several combat missions.

    Born on 13 December 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile in Kaduna, Arotile hails from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    She attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 – 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 – 2011 before she later gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of 64 Regular Course on 22 September 2012.

    Flying Officer Arotile was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on 16 September 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

    Flying Officer Arotile was winged as the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force on 15 October 2019, after completing her flying training in South Africa.

    She holds a commercial pilots’ license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy.

    Incidentally, she introduced the newly acquired Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, during the induction ceremony at the Eagle Square in Abuja on 6 February 2020.

    The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, had on behalf of officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the Service, condoled with the family of the late ‪Flying Officer over the irreparable loss.

    The remains of the late Flying Officer would be laid to rest with full military honours at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja on 23 July 2020.

     

  • JUST IN: NAF bows to pressure, commences investigation into Tolulope Arotile’s death

    JUST IN: NAF bows to pressure, commences investigation into Tolulope Arotile’s death

    …Two suspects held in hostage

    …Late pilot to get ‘full military honours’ at burial next week

    The Nigerian Air Force on Friday stated that its Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile, who died on July 14 2020, will be laid to rest on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

    The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, gave the information in a statement released on Friday.

    The statement titled, ‘Late Flying Officer Arotile to be buried in Abuja with full military honours on July 23,’ said;

    “The remains of late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile who died on July 14 will be laid to rest with full military honours at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja on July 23.

    “Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has received some members of the Federal Executive Council as well as members of the National Assembly who visited him at Headquarters NAF at various times on Thursday.”

    The country was thrown into mourning on Tuesday when the NAF first announced that Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, died at the NAF base in Kaduna State.

    Meanwhile, the air force explanation was that the female officer sustained head injuries from the accident when she was “inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force secondary school classmate while trying to greet her.”

    A Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, however, on Thursday raised suspicion over the death of the female officer, rejecting the road accident explanation and calling for a Coroner’s Inquest into her death.

    Tolulope’s family also rejected the road accident explanation and called for a thorough investigation.

    However, The Nigerian Air Force also stated that a thorough investigation has commenced.

    NAF added that two persons were being held but noted that at the end of the investigation, “whatever information needs to go out will go out.”

    NAF spokesman Daramola, said, “First of all, in my first statement, I said she died from a road traffic accident. I further clarified the nature of the road traffic accident where one of her excited classmates who saw her reversed his car which led to him hitting her and knocking her down. This led to head injuries and a lot of haemorrhaging which ultimately resulted in her death.

    “The two boys are in custody and the NAF will do a thorough investigation into the matter. It is a routine process – our own processes that are ongoing because it happened inside a NAF base. At the appropriate time, whatever information needs to go out will go out. But we cannot pre-empt that investigation process.

    “Whatever needs to be known will be known; it is standard practice. So, we are investigating the circumstances leading to her death by a road traffic accident. It is an investigation because it may go beyond NAF.”

    Profile

    Tolulope was born on December 13, 1995, into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Akintunde Arotile, the native of Iffe area in Ijumu Local Council of Kogi State.

    She attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 to 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 to 2011, before gaining admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, as a member of 64 Regular Course on the 22nd September 2012.

    She was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on September 16, 2017, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

    Arotile was selected to train at the Starlite International Training Academy, in South Africa, following her performance during her initial flying training course at 401 Flying Training School Kaduna. As of October 15, 2019, she had acquired 460 hours of flight within 14 months in helicopter.

    The late officer was decorated as the first female fighter helicopter pilot the Nigerian Airforce has had in 55 years; the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. (Dame) Pauline Tallen and Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar performed the decoration in October 2019.

    She contributed to the efforts to rid the North-Central states of bandits and other criminal elements by flying combat missions.

    She was particularly a squadron leader in Operation Gama Aiki in Minna Niger State.

  • NAF’s explanation about Tolulope’s death not convincing enough, elder sister speaks

    NAF’s explanation about Tolulope’s death not convincing enough, elder sister speaks

    Damilola Adegboye, the immediate elder sister of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, has demanded a thorough investigation.

    Adeboyega insisted that the family is not convinced with NAF’s explanation.

    Recall that the Nigeria Air Force had released a statement saying Tolulope, 25, died when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her.

    She allegedly sustained head injuries that led to her death.

    However, Adegboye said the family is demanding a thorough investigation that will convince them.

    “We in the family are not convinced that Tolu can just die like that in a freak accident,” Adegboye said in an interview with The Punch.

    “I know that the military is well trained in the art of investigation, we want them to carry out a thorough investigation that can convince us beyond all doubts that the incident that led to her death was real.”

    She recalled that they were together when Arotile received a call from someone that is likely a senior colleague and reluctantly left for the base as instructed.

    “A call came into her phone which she picked but from the way they spoke, I knew the caller must be a senior officer calling her to come to Air force base. She felt reluctant and I offered to drop her off,” she said.

    “One hour later, I read online that something serious had happened to her. I couldn’t believe that somebody I just dropped off is dead.”

    Also speaking, the mother of Arotile went down memory lane about how she gave birth to her describing her as a special child adding that fasting and prayer was her hobby.

  • Tragedy as Nigeria loses first female combat helicopter pilot

    Tragedy as Nigeria loses first female combat helicopter pilot

    The Nigerian Air Force said that it has lost its first ever female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile to auto crash in Kaduna on Tuesday.

     

    Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, announced the demise of the Flying Officer Arotile in a statement in Abuja.

     

    The deceased pilot was winged last year by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar in Abuja.

     

    According to the statement: “It is with great sorrow that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) regretfully announces the unfortunate demise of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died today, 14 July 2020, as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna.

     

    “Until her death, ‪Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Service”.

     

     

    NAF spokesperson 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 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 Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf of officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, commiserates with the family of late ‪Flying Officer Arotile over this irreparable loss.

     

    “He prayed that the Almighty God will grants her soul eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable lost,” the statement added.

     

     

     

     

  • Nigerian Air Force didn’t promise to end insurgency war – Spokesman

    Nigerian Air Force didn’t promise to end insurgency war – Spokesman

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, never promised that NAF will end the war on Boko Haram by the end of 2020.

    Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, made the denial in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    Daramola was reacting to publications in some media, insinuating that Abubakar, during a recent operational visit to Maiduguri, promised that NAF would end the war on Boko Haram by the end of year 2020.

    “The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been drawn to publications in some media insinuating that the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during a recent operational visit to the Headquarters of the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maiduguri, on July 4 promised that the NAF would end the war on Boko Haram by the end of the Year 2020.

    “The NAF wishes to state that the above-attributed statement is not a true reflection of what the CAS actually said and therefore constitutes a misrepresentation; hence the need for this clarification.

    “For the benefit of the general public, it must be noted that the CAS, in saying that very soon, at least before the end of the year, we should be rounding up this operation or latest by the end of this year. So, work towards that and be rest assured that the Nigerian Air Force will support you never suggested that the ATF would single-handedly end the war on Boko Haram.

    “Instead, the CAS was setting a target for the ATF to encourage and spur it on to focus all its energy and resources towards achievement.

    “This is typical of visionary leadership which sets goals for its subordinates in order to inspire a redoubling of efforts.

    “It is expected that with this new charge, the ATF, working in synergy with sister services and other security agencies, will work even more assiduously towards ensuring victory.

    “Accordingly, the general public is requested to discountenance these reports, as the foregoing is the true representation of the CAS statement,” Daramola said.