The Ondo State Police Command has refuted reports suggesting that a vehicle from the convoy of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the tragic death of a young girl in Akure on Thursday.
The First Lady was in the state capital for the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative Health Programme, during which she distributed 10,000 professional kits, including Crocs and scrubs, to midwives across the South-West zone.
An online publication had alleged that a car from her convoy struck and killed a nine-year-old girl in the Oba-Ile area of Akure.
However, in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the command described the report as “false and misleading.”
“Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations conducted by the Command confirm that the incident was caused by a hit-and-run driver operating an unregistered white Lexus vehicle—not by any vehicle associated with the First Lady’s convoy,” the statement said.
Odunlami-Omisanya further explained that a witness, who was at the scene, immediately pursued the fleeing vehicle on a motorcycle. Multiple bystanders and the victim’s own parents corroborated this account, affirming that the First Lady’s convoy was not involved.
The police also corrected misinformation in the initial report regarding the victim’s age. Contrary to claims that the girl was nine years old, her parents confirmed she was seven.
“This inaccuracy further underscores the publication’s lack of respect for truth, especially in such a sensitive matter,” the spokesperson added.
In a show of empathy, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police personally visited the bereaved family, offering condolences and promising a thorough and transparent investigation to bring the culprit to justice.
“At no point was the First Lady’s convoy involved in this tragedy,” Odunlami-Omisanya reaffirmed, calling on media outlets to exercise responsibility and verify facts before disseminating information that could inflame public sentiment or tarnish reputations.
© Ripples Nigeria