Ondo State Police has dismissed reports alleging that a vehicle in the convoy of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the tragic death of a nine-year-old girl in Akure on Thursday.
In a recent statement, the Ondo State Police Command clarified that the claims circulating online were entirely unfounded and misleading.
The incident, which occurred in the Oba-Ile area of Akure, has sparked controversy following a report published by an online news outlet, Sahara Reporters, on April 17. The publication alleged that a vehicle from the First Lady’s convoy was involved in the accident.
However, according to DSP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police, preliminary investigations have revealed that the incident was not linked to the First Lady’s convoy.
“The attention of the Ondo State Police Command has been drawn to a false and misleading report published by Sahara Reporters on April 17,” the spokesperson noted. “It alleged that the convoy of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi, was responsible for the tragic death of a young girl in Akure.”
The police further explained that the incident was caused by a hit-and-run driver in a white Lexus vehicle that was not registered.
Eyewitnesses at the scene and several individuals, including the victim’s parents, confirmed that the driver of the Lexus fled the scene immediately after the crash. A witness, who was on a motorcycle at the time of the accident, pursued the driver in an attempt to identify the vehicle.
The report from Sahara Reporters was also found to contain inaccuracies regarding the age of the child who tragically lost her life. While the news outlet stated that the girl was nine years old, the police clarified that the victim was actually seven years old, according to her grieving parents. This, the police noted, underscored the publication’s failure to verify the facts properly.
In response to the incident, the Commissioner of Police for Ondo State reportedly visited the bereaved family to offer condolences and ensure them that a thorough investigation would be conducted. DSP Odunlami-Omisanya stressed that at no point was the First Lady’s convoy involved in the unfortunate event, reiterating that the circulating reports were entirely baseless.
