Our people have so many sayings that are meant to serve as a caution in case you think you or anyone for that matter is indispensable. Yes, the English say no one is indispensable. If you think otherwise, die first and look back to see whether you will not be replaced in a jiffy! In fact, before you are lowered into the grave, other people would have started jostling and lobbying to take over your place!

When people describe a vacuum as too hard to fill, they are just trading pleasant words; there is no vacuum that is too hard to fill or, better still, that will not be filled, hard or soft, perfectly or imperfectly. When they say a loss is irreplaceable or irreparable, they are just humouring the dead. No one is irreplaceable.

In realization of this, my Owo (Ogho) people caution the living to watch it. Be careful, they say, because the person who dies is the one whose destiny perishes. In case you are not yet convinced, they add that no one dies, no matter how close or dear to you, that stops you from going on with your own life!

All the same, some deaths can really, really be painful. Some losses are never really tucked away in the past. Which must be why Don Williams sang “Some broken hearts never mend.” The part of the lyrics that concerns us here goes thus: “Some broken hearts never mend/Some memories never end/Some tears will never dry/ My love for you will never die.”

May we never suffer the loss of a loved one! And may the Comforter comfort those who have! Each time I think of some of the loved ones I have lost, my eyes still get misty, my voice trembles and cracks and tears roll down my cheeks, even though some of these losses occurred decades ago!

So I have an understanding what the parents, family and friends of Flight Officer Tolulope Arotile, the subject of our discussion here today, must have been through these past six years that the bright star of their life and family, who was brutally cut short while she was yet to start living her life, as they say, had been unable to get justice from a country she served unto death. Worse, is to now hear that her murder case – the murder of an officer on active national service for country and people – has not only been treated with levity but also that her murderer (s) has/have now been allowed to vamoose into thin air!

I read the story with trepidation, and then I remembered the wise saying – even if some will call it cowardly – of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, when asked whether he could die for this country, Nigeria. Putting on his thinking cap, the Owelle of Onitsha quipped something like, “Why die for Nigeria when you can live for her?” Nigeria is not worth dying for, is the meaning of that statement. Those who have died for Nigeria, how has Nigeria remembered or compensated them? How have we hallowed their memory?

And each time the topic of patriotism crops up, I remember a paper presented a long time ago by Professor George Obiozor, one-time Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, charging Nigerians to celebrate their heroes. To my mind, Nigeria as a country has no heroes or, better still (if you prefer that), Nigeria celebrates no hero. The various nationalities making up the amorphous country called Nigeria however have, and celebrate their respective heroes.

Today as we remember the heroics of Flight Officer Tolulope Arotile and raise a cry that she gets justice, I am sure you know this advocacy will not resonate uniformly across the length and breadth of this country. How, then, can we – or, better still, when, then, shall we  –  arrive at the highest pedestal of patriotism erected by a one-time president of the United States of America, assassinated President John F. Kennedy, who is famously remembered for these immortal words:’ “Think not what your country can do for you, but think of what you can do for your country”?

When you take heed, like Tolulope Arotile did, and lose your life – your most prized, most precious, and indispensable treasure – and your country fails to lift a finger, what next?

That appears to be the story of Tolulope Arotile that you are about to read. It was written by a Nigerian journalist, Temidayo Akinsuyi. Fasten your seat belt as we go!

“Last week, I received a disturbing report alleging that Nehemiah Adejoh — the man accused of driving the vehicle that killed Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot — has fled the country.

“Naturally, as a journalist with a knack for investigating reports, I tried to verify the claim. A search through publicly available reports shows that the last major update on the case was in October 2020, when a Kaduna state high court granted Adejoh bail in the sum of N2 million. Since then, there appears to be no sustained media coverage, no official briefing, and no clear public record of how the matter progressed.

“I made several attempts to reach the spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force and even sent a formal email requesting an update. To date, there has been no response. And so, the uncomfortable question persists: Where is Nehemiah Adejoh, and what is the update on the trial?

“If the allegation that he has left the country is untrue, the authorities should say so clearly. If it is true and he has not been declared wanted, then that silence would be troubling. If, on the other hand, the case is still before the court, Nigerians deserve to know its status.

“The absence of information six years after such a high-profile death creates room for speculation — and speculation thrives where transparency is absent. It bears repeating that the late Tolulope Arotile was not an ordinary officer. She was Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot — a symbol of professional excellence in a country desperate for stories of merit and courage.

“Before her death in July 2020, media reports were awash with accounts of her role in operations against bandits and armed insurgents in the north. It was gathered that her last mission was part of “Operation Gama Aiki” in Minna, Niger state, where, despite rockets fired in her direction, she reportedly neutralised several bandits.

“Then came the shocking news of her death — not in combat, but in what the Nigerian Air Force described as a tragic accident. In its preliminary report released in June 2020, the Air Force stated: ‘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…”

“For many Nigerians, the official explanation left unanswered questions. How does one reverse a vehicle ‘to quickly meet up’ with a friend and end up striking her with such force that she is knocked down and run over? Were all relevant forensic and investigative procedures exhaustively carried out? Was due diligence applied?”

My own take is this: They can as well tell that cock-and-bull story to the marines! Some accounts of the incident said those who knocked her down and ran her over were still the same persons who hauled her into their car and “rushed” her to the hospital. Those accounts said she did not die on the spot but they finished her off in the car ostensibly while rushing her to the hospital! Some reports even said she had been warned to take things easy with the bandits! Can those reports be true?

If they are, then, they killed her because she was killing the bandits. They ran her over because she was spoiling the “market” for them. Those powerful forces that invited the bandits; those powerful Nigerians who openly told us that any attack on the bandits and terrorists is an attack on their region and religion – they are the ones that killed this lady.

We know them! They have been audacious enough to speak in the open and not in the dark. The war against terror cannot be won with the strong backers fuelling the insurgency. Those of them that have been fingered in various reports that have not been controverted; those of them that have spoken openly in defence of negotiations with terrorists and bandits and paying ransoms that further lubricate their invidious and insidious evil machine are well-known past and present top government officials and influential personalities in society.

So, let no one try to pull the wool over our eyes on this matter. They killed her! Pure and simple! Now they want to cover up and let her murderers go free because those murderers were on assignment. And they delivered!

Akinsuyi further said: “The incident occurred during the Muhammadu Buhari administration. President Bola Tinubu is almost concluding his four-year term. It would not be unreasonable to expect that the office of the commander-in-chief should be interested in ensuring that the death of a decorated officer receives a transparent judicial closure. Justice delayed, especially in a matter of national symbolism, gradually erodes public trust.

“This is … about institutional memory and respect for service. When a country fails to bring clarity to the death of one of its finest officers, it sends a quiet but powerful message about how it values sacrifice.

“Civil society groups and the legal community also have a role to play. High-profile cases should not simply fade from public consciousness because news cycles have moved on.

“The broader concern is generational. If a young officer who broke barriers and served in active combat can die under controversial circumstances and her case disappears into bureaucratic silence, what hope does the average Nigerian youth have for accountability in less visible situations?

“In all of this, I pity Nigerian youths. If this can happen to Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, and the government treats it with levity, what, then, is the fate of the average Nigerian youth on the streets?

“Nigeria owes Tolulope Arotile more than ceremonial tributes and memorial hashtags. It owes her parents closure. It owes its armed forces reassurance that service and sacrifice matter. And it owes the public transparency.

“So again, the question is simple: What is the status of the case? And where is Nehemiah Adejoh? Silence, at this point, is no longer acceptable.”

My thoughts often wander after this lady, amazed at the huge waste made of her talents! Tell me, how does a country prosper and flourish in such a circumstance? But when sanity returns to this country, her murderers will be found and monuments will be erected in her honour and in honour of other heroes like her. For now, let’s add to the voice of those crying for justice for Flight Officer Tolulope Arotile! We must hold the feet of her murderers to the fire!

*Bolawole (turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533), former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of the Westerner newsmagazine. He writes the “ON THE LORD’S DAY” column in the Sunday Tribune and “TREASURES” column in the New Telegraph newspapers. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.

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The duo of Folorunsho Faith and Gbayegun Deji were released by Chief Magistrate Benjamin Hassan of  Magistrate Court I in Kaduna where they were arraigned.

They were said not to be found wanting over Arotile’s death going by investigation, according to the prosecution counsel, Martins Leo.

The main suspect, Nehemiah Adejor, will however be charged with culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy.

He was the one that drove the car that ran over Arotile.

He will be arraigned at the state High Court on September 3, 2020.

The legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution, Bayero Dari, over the matter as presented at the court reads:

“The 1st suspect, full of enthusiasm, recklessly reversed the car in order to meet the deceased and in the process ran over her consequent upon which the deceased lay unconsciously on the ground. The deceased was rushed to NAFX64 Base Hospitàl-for- medical attention but was later pronounced dead by the medical Doctors at the Hospital.

“Police investigation reveals that all the suspects attended the same secondary school with the deceased and upon sighting her the first suspect recklessly reversed the car and eventually ran over the deceased which led to her untimely death.

“He informed the other suspects who screamed enthusiastically after which he stopped and started reversing the car in order to meet the deceased and exchange pleasantries. In the process of which he mistakenly ran over her and she later died. He denied having any premeditated plan to kill her.

“It is clear also from the investigation done; the second and third suspects were passengers and friends of the first suspect who was driving the vehicle.

“From the foregoing there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the 1st suspect for the offence of Culpable Homicide not punishable with death contrary to Section 191 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 as there is no premeditation in the death of the deceased.”

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Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

Daramola stated that the suspects – Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun – were handed over to the Police at NAF Base on Friday.

Late Arotile was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the NAF.

He said that Group Capt. Hadi Ahmed, the Commander 453 Base Services Group (453 BSG), during the handover recalled how an SUV vehicle driven by Adejoh, with the two others as passengers knocked down Arotile.

Ahmed was also quoted as saying that the vehicle knocked down Arotile when she was walking along Air Marshal Ibrahim Alfa Road in the NAF Base Kaduna, leading to her eventual death.

He said that NAF would continue to cooperate with the Nigeria Police and provide all necessary support to enable it carry forward the case to its logical conclusion.

It would be recalled that NAF, during a news conference on July 19 gave details of the outcome of its preliminary investigations.

It had informed Nigerians that the three persons involved in the accident would be handed over to the Nigerian Police for further investigation and possible prosecution in line with extant laws.

Source: NAN

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Her interment which held at about 11 a.m. was with full military honours.

Present at the occasion were the governor of Kogi State, Yayaha Bello who was accompanied by his wife, Rasheedat.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq; chairmen of Senate and House Committees on Air Force, Senator Bala Ibn Na’lla and Hon Shehu Koku were also present.

Also at the occasion were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar,

Arotile died on July 14 following the injuries she sustained when she was hit by a car at the NAF base in Kaduna.

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The announcement was made on Sunday by the spokesman of the Nigeria Air Force, Ibikunle Daramola.

Highlights of the investigation include the disclosure of the identity of the killer – Nehemiah Adejoh, her former schoolmate who drove a Kia Sorento SUV, with Registration Number AZ 478 MKA.

The spokesman said its investigation did not find any “foul play” in the cause of the death of Arotile.

He said, however, that being a civil case, it has been handed to the police for further necessary actions after the NAF preliminary investigation.

The preliminary investigation released by Daramola reads in full:

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REPORT ON THE DEATH OF FLYING OFFICER TOLULOPE AROTILE

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:
4. 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.
5. 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.

4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Having carefully considered the foregoing, the preliminary investigation concluded that:
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA, Air Commodore,  Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force.

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“The death of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile was one tragedy too many. As an advocate of girl-child education, gender inclusion, and women empowerment, the governor deems the death of the valiant Tolulope as a major depletion in the ranks of the torchbearers for the Nigerian girl child in their pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5,” according to a statement by AbdulRazaq’s spokesman Rafiu Ajakaye.

“The governor commiserates with the Nigerian Air Force and the Arotiles over the tragic incident. He urges them to take solace in the fact that the 25-year-old Tolulope successfully etched her name in gold. He prays the Almighty God to repose her soul and give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.”

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It therefore called for coroner inquest into her death.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the group said the contradictions between the official and unofficial accounts of the cause of her death called for a thorough investigation.

The statement reads in full:

Afenifere wants coroner inquest into Tolulope Arotile  death

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.

A statement by the Nigerian Air Force told some truth that she died but spewed some untruth in saying that: ‘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.’

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.

The statement added that ‘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. 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.’

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 death 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.

Yinka Odumakin,

National Publicity Secretary

Afenifere

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Arotile told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lokoja on Wednesday that he was shocked to receive the news of her death few hours later.

“Just yesterday (July 14) at about 1 p.m., I called her because she just came back from an operation against the bandits in Katsina.

“They gave them one week to rest and so she was sleeping and told me she was in bed resting, she said she will later go out to make some photocopies.

“I told her not to be long and to return home on time because she was staying with my first daughter in Kaduna.

“Around 5.30 p.m., somebody called me and asked if I had called her today and I said yes, then the person told me to call her which I did, but no response.

“So, I called her colleagues, and they were all crying on phone, I asked what happened , they were just crying, so I called one of her bosses who told me that she is in the mortuary.

“I said ha!, Somebody I spoke with 4 hours ago and by 5 p.m. she was in the mortuary,” he explained.

According to him, he had to drive from Abuja to Lokoja to break the sad news to her mother.

“This is to enable me inform her mother physically because I could not break such news on phone, but when I came she had gone to the prayer mountain.

“She came back around 8.30 p.m., I told her this is what I heard but that I had not confirmed,” he said.

Arotile, who retired from the Transmission Company of Nigeria in 2019, described his daughter as a brilliant and wonderful person right from when she was young.

“Right from day one, she had been very very intelligent, sometimes, I wonder what type of IQ she had.

“She also combined intelligence with hard-work. She has not just been brilliant but wonderful,” he said.

According to him, Tolulope did all her schooling in Kaduna from kindergarten to nursery at the Airforce Base and Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna.

“One day when she was very small, she pointed to one small aircraft parked on the field and said, Dad, one day I am going to fly that aircraft and I said Amen.

“So from that day, she started working towards that, she got admission to the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, she had a Bachelor degree in Mathematics, she became an Airforce Cadet; from there, she was sent on several courses abroad and became a pilot.

“I just thank God that she was able to achieve her life dream as a baby before her death,” he added.

The late Flight Officer, who died as a result of a motor accident at the age of 25, hailed from Ijumu Local Government, Kogi State.

She was standing by the road side at Kawo area of Kaduna when a former secondary school classmate sighted her and applied the brake.

The female old school mate was reversing her vehicle to enable her properly greet her when she mistakenly knocked her down.

The late Arotile died from the head injury she sustained from the accident.

The father said he was impressed by the outpouring of sympathy messages and support from the Nigeria Airforce and other Nigerians since the incident happened.

“There have been several visits from her bosses from all over the country, including here in Lokoja, Abuja, Kaduna, Enugu and everywhere.

“The support have been overwhelming, they even gave a token and other promises.

“They have even promised to give a choice of where to bury her, but her commandant suggested that she should be buried at the National Cemetery, Abuja, due to the feat she achieved as the first female combatant helicopter pilot in Nigeria,” he said.

Source: NAN

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