Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has asked the Nigerian Government to look into circumstances surrounding the death of 25-year-old Tolulope Arotile, who was the country’s first female combat helicopter pilot.
The group in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, on Thursday said it rejects the explanation for her death that she was knocked down by a reversing car.
Afenifere said that due to the sensitivity of her job fighting insurgency and the possibility of a calculated mishap, the Nigerian Government must launch a coroner’s inquiry to determine how she died and make findings of the same public.
The statement reads, “Nigeria the demented chicken sucked one of its finest eggs yet again with the killing of flying officer Tolulope Arotile on the road in Kaduna on Tuesday. 
“It was only eyewitness accounts that unofficially released that it was a colleague of hers who reversed his car to knock her down on the road.
“Unofficial accounts say she just returned from a combat operation before she was knocked down to death.
“We, therefore, do not accept that her death was an accident until the report of a coroner says how she died and how a supposed attempt to stop and greet could come with a deadly impact.
“We say this against what is known of the infiltration of the forces by sympathisers and agents of Boko Haram. We recall the report years back of such agents revealing the routes and timing of movements of our troops to Boko Haram who ambushed them.
“The inquiry should look into all the links of the colleague who killed her and we must know the identity.
“Meanwhile, we sympathise with the grieving family of Tolulope who have been thrown into deep mourning following the killing of their daughter not in combat but within the barrack. May her soul rest in peace.”
