The Ondo State Police Command has denied that a vehicle in the convoy of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the death of a seven-year-old girl, Saratu Lawal, in Akure on Thursday.
Earlier reports alleged that Saratu, a pupil of Islamiyar Arabic School in Shasha, was struck by a butter-coloured Hilux vehicle reportedly part of the First Lady’s convoy during her visit to the state.
A security source was among those who confirmed the incident.
According to one eyewitness, the tragic event occurred in Oba Ile, just before the Oba Ile Central Mosque.
“It claimed the life of the child as every effort to save her could not yield the desired result even when she was rushed to the primary healthcare in Oba Ile,” the source said.
The grieving father, Malam Lawali, a trader in the Oba Ile market, expressed his sorrow, stating he has “handed everything to God.
However, in a statement, DSP Olushola asserted that the vehicle involved in the accident did not belong to the First Lady’s convoy.
He stated that eyewitnesses and preliminary investigations indicated that a hit-and-run driver operating an unregistered white Lexus was responsible for the incident.
“A witness who observed the hit-and-run pursued the fleeing vehicle on a motorcycle immediately after the incident, which occurred around the Oba Ile area of Akure,” Olushola said.
“These accounts have been corroborated by several individuals at the scene as well as by the parents of the deceased.”
Olushola also took issue with part of SaharaReporters’ coverage, saying, “SaharaReporters inaccurately claimed the deceased girl to be 9 years old,” although the platform had reported her as seven in both its headline and story.
He further noted, “The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, was personally present and met with the grieving family to ensure a full and transparent investigation.”
“At no point was the First Lady’s convoy involved in this tragedy,” Olushola maintained.
