₦airaland Forum

a candle in d wind

the NAF are still insisting there's no foul play in her death??

I understand the frustration of the Air Force authorities, especially with the ethnic twist some are giving the story. But they have themselves to blame for the gaps in the information. When an Air Force man killed a female colleague supposed to be his lover in Benue three years ago, the public was outraged, but the interest was different.
Although we don’t know what eventually became of the suspect, the authorities were unusually, but robustly open, admitting that the airman and the airwoman were in a love relationship, which resulted in the deadly shooting. The unanswered questions in Arotile’s case, make the current story difficult to swallow. The final report must provide answers, instead of raising doubts.

And apparently, after the accident, the vehicle came to a stop, with no other casualties and no other incidents. And from the 1,297-word press release by the Air Force we are not informed of any eye-witnesses – a most troubling thing, if ever there was one, for an accident that occurred in broad daylight in a military base supposed to be a safe and secure location.

We were told that three of Arotile’s former schoolmates at the Air Force secondary school, all civilians living outside the base who were in a car, saw her as she was returning from the mammy market inside the base after 4pm, going in the opposite direction.
According to the statement by the Air Force, the driver, in a hurry to meet up with Arotile, reversed the car “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.”
Except if the driver had a premeditated intention to kill a long-lost friend or was suddenly overcome by suicidal instinct, assuming all three occupants in the car saw Arotile and she didn’t see them (which we are not told), the normal thing would be for the driver to horn, before stopping and then reversing.
I’m bereft at how the driver moved from the excitement of seeing a long-lost friend to halting the car, and flying back in reverse at killer speed knocking down and climbing over Arotile without warning or any alarm from the other two passengers in the car or even passersby that may have alerted the victim.
Generally, jeeps tend to have slower acceleration than sedans. Except if the Sorento involved in this accident is a Sorento SXL that can potentially reach 60mph in eight seconds, it would be interesting to know the distance from the reverse point to where Arotile was and the speed of the car at impact. Did the driver in a regular Sorento SUV go from zero to 20kph? 30kph? 40kph? 60kph? inside a military base, before knocking down and killing Arotile?

So, what was it? Was she awaiting deployment or planning to return to Enugu or both? Also, while the statement recorded the time Arotile received the call from her colleague and when she was dropped off at the base by her sister, we’re not told if her meeting with Karimo held, where and for how long?
And at what point did she drop her phone for charging at the instructor pilots’ quarters – after the meeting with Karimo or before – and did her sister wait all the time (between 11am and 4pm) before dropping her off at the mammy market?

The second statement by the Air Force said Arotile, who was staying with her sister, Mrs. Damilola Adegboye, outside the base, had just finished her promotion exam, “awaiting deployment for her next assignment.”
But that fateful Tuesday morning, she got a call from “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.”

Drivers can be mad outside, but once inside the base (at least at that time), they behaved, without being told. So, what kind of “road traffic accident” took Arotile’s life on the spot inside the base on a weekday?

At 23, she wasn’t exactly a rookie. She had been flying several combat missions, especially in the North-east. She had accomplished what generations of women enrolled in the service in the last 56 years could only dream of, standing on the shoulders of first female combat pilot, Blessing Liman; and the first female senior non-commissioned officer to be promoted to the rank of Air Warrant Officer, Grace Garba.

lives need to be savaged

Beyond these, public office holders found to have embezzled billions of naira meant for road construction should be brought to speedy justice, instead of being treated as untouchables. Enough of this culture of impunity that has killed millions of innocent souls.

The FRSC has to be empowered to carry out its core functions of ensuring that we return to our homes safe and sound after our journeys.

Drivers who engage in drunk-driving, over speeding, over-taking other vehicles at dangerously sharp bends, over-loading vehicles with both passengers and goods and driving at night, even when fatigued have led to the loss of several lives. The pain in all of this is that most of these accidents were clearly preventable

What matters now are the lessons to glean from her short but illustrious life and what measures to put in place to prevent similar accident in the future.

The fact that she did not die in the course of duty, up there in a fighter-plane or manoeuvering against the turbulence of the cloudy sky, but down here as a voiceless victim of a car accident in Kaduna makes it all the more heart-rending.

d pain runs deep beyond wishful words

she deserved a good life in return for her sacrifices

death should leave our youths alone

Harriey:
Death is actually inevitable,it comes anytime and hits anyone despite how treasured one is to family or nation..Rest on young lad!

there are others who should have died na


those old wrinkled



not a young lady like that

Harriey:
Shes an ideal African queen,you deserve all the eulogies

if only d youths weren't blind

Harriey:
Tolus life was worth emulation,i hope interested ones on this path borrow a leaf from her

abi now

mogivethanks:
At least one of our leaders said something about her, someone finally paid attention to what’s important

after she died

mogivethanks:
I feel if we get to talk about this more, more young women will be encouraged to follow in her footsteps

recruitment is on...

mogivethanks:
She must have had long term dreams and aspirations, but all was cut short
Sad

very sad

Oroyo10:
GEJ had a direct hand in ensuring females are trained as combatants in Nigeria.

it started during his administration

Harriey:
I hope no one get discourage to take a selfless stand on representing ones country..it is a patriotic act,death happens to one at anytime,Tolu lived a purposeful but short life..
Yours could be longer,so hey!..dont get discouraged

u too



don't get discouraged

Harriey:
Will they really compensate the family for this huge loss

no amount of compensation can bring back tolu to her family




all we can do now is pray for them

Harriey:
Ex Presido has let out his voice on her demise which is quite soothing though ,it is ok to show concern..will BUBU ever say anything?
Does he even know sef?

Bubu know ??

she shouldn't be buried and forgotten

Oroyo10:
I am happy leaders are pouring out encomiums for this great episode of life.

them pouring out encomiums isn't d issue


.they should ensure her legacy doesn't die


they should preserve it

Youths need to come together and have a plan for this country





The next election is around d corner


Will we still sit back and let them buy our next 8 years with 5000 Or a plate of food Or sachet garri


We need to wise up and make d most of our youthful years

Our youths aren't reacting to this because they're busy watching Big brother naija




Wasted years, wasted youth