The Nigerian Air Force has arrested two persons in connection with the death of Nigeria’s first female helicopter fighter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, stated these in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.
Daramola, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH on Friday following outcry for a probe into the circumstances of the death of Arotile, said the outcome will be made public.
He 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.”
Arotile is scheduled to be will be buried on July 23 at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
