The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction with the explanation offered by the Nigerian Air Force on the cause of death of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat pilot.
DAILY POST had reported that the 24-year-old flying officer who was hit by a classmate’s car died after sustaining a head injury From the unfortunate accident.
Her mysterious death has since generated a lot of controversy with several questions raised in various quarters.
Following a widespread call for investigations into the officers’ death, the Airforce revealed the identity of the alleged civilian classmate on Sunday.
According to NAF, the matter would be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force being a civil case.
However, HURIWA in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, faulted the explanations given by the NAF authorities, adding that the matter ought to receive a scientific, medical, ballistic and forensic examinations to ascertain the real cause of her death.
The group wants the federal government to constitute a high calibre team to carry out a comprehensive medical autopsy on the Arotile’s remains to put to ease the suspicions that she was killed because of her exploits against terrorists and armed bandits by internal moles inside the Nigerian military who are aiding the terrorists.
According to HURIWA these saboteurs within the military are not happy whenever a professionally committed patriot is deployed to the theatre of the counter-terror war.
The statement reads “For the purpose of history, we in the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) are hereby asking the Nigerian government to adopt the most credible steps to investigate the remote and immediate cause of the death of this national icon who is been suspected by millions to have been murdered and as most people are saying, this tales by moonlight from the Nigerian Air Force is grossly insufficient and indeed is a slap on our faces as a nation.
“There are too many loose ends that ought to be adequately addressed as far as her death is concerned.
“This additional information from the official quarters is not different from the hastily conjured reasons for her demise as was given to Nigerians by this same Air Force on the day of her death.
“We think dismissing this serious matter as a civil matter is reprehensible and odious. We condemn this attempt to obfuscate a very serious matter of state that should be adequately addressed using the most credible independent mechanisms to arrive at a factually accurate finding.
“Anything less than this amounts to sweeping the matter under the carpets and the ghost of this icon of our time will haunt her killers and their sponsors”.
