Omotayo Adigun
The Ondo State Police Command has vehemently denied a report circulating online that claimed a vehicle in the convoy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the death of a young girl in Akure on Thursday. The police have branded the report as false and misleading, providing an alternative account of the tragic incident.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the report, published by an online platform on April 17th, was entirely baseless.
The Police’s clarification comes as the First Lady was in Ondo State to launch the Renewed Hope Initiative Health Programme and distribute professional kits to midwives in the South-West zone.
“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 statement read. “It alleged that the convoy of the first lady, Sen. Oluremi, was responsible for the tragic death of a young girl in Akure.”
DSP Odunlami-Omisanya stated that preliminary investigations and accounts from eyewitnesses confirm that the fatal incident was caused by a hit-and-run driver. The vehicle involved was identified as an unregistered white Lexus and was not affiliated with the First Lady’s convoy in any way.
The police spokesperson further detailed that a witness who observed the hit-and-run immediately pursued the fleeing Lexus on a motorcycle after the crash occurred in the Oba-Ile area of Akure. These eyewitness accounts were reportedly corroborated by several individuals present at the scene, as well as by the victim’s parents.
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The Police statement also pointed out an inaccuracy in the initial report, noting that the deceased girl was seven years old, not nine as reported, highlighting a disregard for factual accuracy in the publication.
The Commissioner of Police for Ondo State is reported to have personally visited the grieving family to offer condolences and assure them that a full and transparent investigation into the hit-and-run incident will be conducted to apprehend the culprit.
“At no point was the first lady’s convoy involved in this tragedy,” the spokesperson firmly reiterated, urging the public to disregard the false report and rely on official police statements for accurate information regarding the incident.
The Command emphasized its commitment to uncovering the truth behind the fatal hit-and-run and bringing the responsible party to justice.