By Adetunji Ayobrown
All men are mortal but souls of the righteous are immortal and divine, she gave her life to save her nation and earn a place among the gods. A fine writing and fulfilment but I couldn’t find the right words to describe her, perhaps there are no words.
Brave enough to look death in the face; it is because she loved and had the sufficient passion to push death out of her mind. After all, it will return as it is with all flesh. Tolulope Arotile, a woman that is equal to a man in courage, she was a national asset.
History was made in October 2019, when she was winged as Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force’s 55 years of our national existence. She didn’t allowed her passion from cradle to die, in a nation where some chiefs are openly embezzling funds, their motives for joining the military was and is to enrich their pockets and that of their families and friends, but for Tolu, she needed to fight for and defend her people and nation from all ends, she felt justice was supreme.
There is no limit to what can be achieved when guided by hope and not fears. Born on December 13, 1995, in Kaduna State to Arotile family, the deceased officer was passionate about the military since she was a child. The claim was that she was inadvertently killed by a reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her in Kaduna. On a week break after returning from an operation against bandits in Katsina, a reversing car hit and killed her was the story. But what were the driver’s other motives and what was the speed of the driver while reversing? These and many more are the questions on every lips.
She knew that nothing is fine and noble about dying in the mud, unless you died gracefully, then you become not only noble but brave too. She excited all even in death.
But I believe an artist’s job is not to succumb to despair but to find antidotes for emptiness in his existence, so also is a good soldier. You have clear and lively voice, you are not a defeatist. Her commitments, diligence, intelligence and ‘I-can-do-it’ spirit launched her into the consciousness like the valiant and vibrant soldier she was.
Creatively different; her profile was well scripted in a tribute released by Nigerian Air Force, describing her as a very intelligent, disciplined, confident and courageous young officer, who added value wherever she served. She gave herself an identity and respect in a defined place in a world that is inaccessible.
Most men cannot even come close to changing the future as Tolu did in her fight against terrorism. A graduate of Mathematics, she attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna between 2000 and 2005, and its Secondary School between 2006 and 2011 before she was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), also in Kaduna, as a member of 64 Regular Course on September 22, 2012 where she graduated with honours. Was she born too late or died too young? Her short but impactful service is highly commendable.
Nigerian Air Force said as of October 2019 that Tolulope had acquired 460 hours (about 19 days) of flight within 14 months in flying a helicopter. These hours of flying were partly spent as a Squadron Pilot in Operation Gama Aiki in Minna, Niger State, and across the North-central states, where she flew her quota of the anti-banditry bombardments to rid the area of terrorists.
Bury the architects inside the pyramid, bandits and terrorists knew what Tolu’s ambition can do, or perhaps her exceptional gifts and talents hurt some unidentified people called friends and colleagues. The demented chicken sucked one of its finest eggs yet again, missing the chance of allowing her imaginations to help her dying country. Most people belief her young life paid the price for the offence of fighting against the devils of the jungle and this is why many Nigerians want open investigations with severe punishment for those found culpable in her death.
Eyewitnesses accounts stated that it was a colleague of hers who reversed his car that knocked her down on the road. Yes, accidents do happen, should this be accepted just as a usual accident. Unofficial accounts say she just returned from a combat operation before she was knocked down and sent to early grave.
She worked on air but died on land, her feats did not come as a surprise to those who knew her. Her colleagues saw her as dutiful, loyal, selfless and patriotic. She was intelligent and a great team player. She helped to wage fierce battles against terrorists and armed bandits in various operations in the Northwest part of the country.
Some peoples’ selfish desires with no regards for consequences, no consideration for fairness or thoughts for justice gave birth to the insurgency and banditry in Nigeria in the first instance, so same can not be ruled out in brutal murder. The prayer now is that same unfair and selfishness of same men will not allow cover-up of this national tragedy.
News sources revealed that she received a call on her mobile phone; from the way she spoke, the caller must be a senior officer telling her to come to the Air Force Base, though reluctant but she had to answer her last earthly caller.
Maybe it is true that ruling this world is not by rights and wrongs but ego and vanity. Why was another finest egg sucked out without pity is the question on all lips because people are not convinced that Tolu’s death in such a freak accident is natural, the believe is that it seems arranged and too unnatural therefore making it questionable.
Life is so loud that sometimes it messes with your ears. She had no chance narrating details of her death to any one and wondering if we somehow knew through intuition or that someone like me is just curious.
For the military to say Nigerians will have to wait till the end of the investigation, “whatever information needs to go out will go out”, is not acceptable to Nigerians. We require and desire an open investigations.
That whatever needs to be known should be made known, that that is the standard practice is also not tenable any longer in the committee of modern military.
Violent Islamist groups adapt their tactics and often the ideological justifications for them. The fears in their eyes showed they knew they are about to be hurt again by Tolu. Against what is known of the infiltration of the forces by sympathisers and agents of Boko Haram and other bandits. After all, reports had shown that government military agents were revealing routes and timing of movements of our troops to Boko Haram who ambushed them, hers may not be different.
Boko Haram’s mindset of not to be killed by a woman should be glossed over too. Example of which will illustrates the importance of better understanding ideological and tactical nuances when countering extremism. 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.
Nigerians took on the Chief of Air Staff via his Twitter handle after his condolence message on Arotile. Asking him to get honour by setting up a facts finding panel to inquire the facts surrounding Tolu’s death. That her death is suspicious under a government that sends soldiers to a war front but keeps releasing terrorists they subdued and arrested is not without serious concerns. Opinions like this many Nigerians hold. It is of grave concerns that young, dedicated and passionate Nigerian soldiers are voluntarily resigning their appointments is also a question that calls for answer and not just any answer.
The Air chief should not allow the death of ‘one of our shining stars’ be in vain, if truly he too is on the side of justice, he should spearhead the campaign of Justice for Arotile. Condolences are not enough.
Now the evil had done something bad, let us stop it from doing something worst. But perhaps again, the military, a well trained intelligence organisation will rise up in defence of one of its heroine. Not only the family but the entire world demands probe and rejects crash report theory.
Will is stronger than fear, being a warrior is not about been able to strike down your opponents with sword but finding good reasons to draw your weapon in the first place
Tolu, you the price for the offensive against evil with your young but powerful life, we have the solace that you did achieved your dreams before your untimely death.
Rest on our dear heroine!
