The Nigerian Air Force, on Sunday, gave the name of late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile’s former classmate who drove the vehicle that knocked her down as Mr Nehemiah Adojeh.
NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, revealed this in Abuja during a press conference on the findings of a preliminary investigation into the death of the Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot.
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Daramola said being a civil case, the matter would be handed over to the Nigeria Police with a view to further investigating and charging the suspects to court in accordance with extant laws.
He said NAF, being a highly professional and disciplined organization, would not join issues with any individuals or groups regarding the spurious allegations of ‘foul play’ espoused in some quarters.
He said the preliminary investigation concluded that Arotile’s death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant bleeding resulting from being struck by a vehicle.
He had earlier explained that on July 14, 2020 at about 10.55am, Late Arotile received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu, requesting that she come to the Base so that they could work out the modalities.
He said subsequently, at about 10.58am, Arotile placed a call through to Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, the Group Operations Officer of 405 HCTG, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment.
He said: “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.”
He added that 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.
He said 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.
He said it was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that three 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.
He said: “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 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.”
He said 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.
“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.”
He said, “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.”
He said, “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,” he added.
He said 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.
He said: “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.”
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