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‘She Was A Gift From God,’ Grieves Father Of Late Combat Pilot Tolulope

Akintunde Arotile, father of Tolulope, the late first female combat helicopter pilot of the Nigerian Air Force has described her as a gift from God.

Mr Arotile spoke on Wednesday in Lokoja following her daughter’s death at the NAF Base in Kaduna State on Tuesday.

According to him, his daughter was blessed with a high intelligent quotient and that informed her decision to become a pilot.

He narrated that he spoke with her in the morning before she died, and was shocked to hear about Tolulope’s demise later in the evening.

“She is like a child that is gifted from God. God gave her a very high IQ. And on her own, she worked too hard to improve on that IQ,” the father narrated. “She is a very special child; a special creation from God.”

Mr Arotile explained that her daughter was a prayerful person and never toyed with her spiritual life.

“She does only three things: at work, sleeping or praying,” Mr Arotile said, adding that in spite of her death, he is consoled that “she is with God.”

Also speaking, the mother of the late pilot recalled how she gave birth to Tolulope, restating that she was a prayerful lady.

She said her daughter made prayer and fasting her hobby and took it upon herself to intercede for others including her colleagues.

Tolulope died eight months after she was commissioned as Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot at the age of 25.

Arotile who hailed from Kogi State died following head injuries sustained from an accident she had at the NAF Base in Kaduna with President Muhammadu Buhari describing her life as short but impact-filled.

“President Buhari prays that the Almighty God will receive the soul of the departed, and comfort the family she left behind,” he said.