First Lady’s Convoy not involved in death of 7-Year-Old Girl in Ondo – Police

The Ondo State Police Command has debunked reports alleging that a vehicle from the convoy of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the death of a young girl in Akure on Thursday.

The First Lady had visited Ondo State to launch the Renewed Hope Initiative Health Programme and distribute 10,000 professional kits, including Crocs and scrubs, to midwives across the South-West zone.

However, a report by Sahara Reporters claimed that a vehicle in her convoy struck and killed a nine-year-old girl in the Oba-Ile area of Akure. Reacting to the report, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, described the information as false and misleading.

“The attention of the Ondo State Police Command has been drawn to a false and misleading report published by Sahara Reporters on April 17, which alleged that the convoy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the tragic death of a young girl in Akure,” the police statement read.

According to the police, eyewitnesses and preliminary investigations confirmed that the accident was caused by a hit-and-run driver in an unregistered white Lexus vehicle, not any vehicle associated with the First Lady’s convoy.

The statement noted that a witness chased after the fleeing driver on a motorcycle immediately after the incident occurred and that both the witness and several other individuals at the scene, including the victim’s parents, corroborated this account.

Additionally, the police corrected the age of the deceased child, stating, “Sahara Reporters inaccurately claimed the deceased girl was nine years old. According to her parents, she was actually seven years old.”

The Commissioner of Police in Ondo State has since visited the bereaved family, assuring them that the command is committed to a full and transparent investigation into the matter.

“At no point was the First Lady’s convoy involved in this tragedy,” the police spokesperson firmly reiterated.