The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has officially handed over to the Nigeria Police the three young men suspected to be behind the incident that led to the death of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement, identified the suspects as – Nehemiah Adejoh, Igbekele Folorunsho and Festus Gbayegun.
Daramola said the NAF handed over the suspects and their vehicle to the police on Friday at the NAF Base Kaduna.
He added that the Commander, 453 Base Services Group (453 BSG), Group Captain Hadi Ahmed recalled, at the event, “how, on 14 July 2020, at about 4.30 pm, a KIA Serento SUV, with registration number: AZ 478 MKA (Kaduna), driven by Adejoh, with the two others as passengers, knocked down Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile when she was walking along Air Marshal Ibrahim Alfa Road in NAF Base Kaduna, leading to her eventual death.
“Group Captain Ahmed highlighted that the three persons involved in the accident, who were former schoolmates of the late Flying Officer at the Air Force Secondary School Kaduna, were on their way to visit the wife of a serving senior officer residing in the Base before the accident occurred.
“He stated that the NAF would continue to cooperate with the Nigeria Police and provide all necessary support to enable it to carry forward the case to its logical conclusion.
“It would be recalled that the NAF, during a Press Conference on 19 July 2020 to give details of the outcome of its preliminary investigations, had informed Nigerians that the three persons involved in the accident would be handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and possible prosecution in line with extant laws.”
The NAF has handed over to the Nigeria Police the three young men suspected to be behind the incident that led to the death of Tolulope Arotile
