Police Debunk Claims Linking First Lady’s Convoy to Child’s Death in Akure

The Ondo State Police Command has categorically refuted reports alleging that a vehicle in the convoy of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was responsible for the death of a young girl in Akure on Thursday, describing the claims as false and misleading.

Senator Tinubu was in Akure to launch the Renewed Hope Initiative Health Programme and to distribute 10,000 professional kits—comprising Crocs and medical scrubs—to midwives across the South-West zone.

Reacting to a publication by Sahara Reporters, which claimed a vehicle in the First Lady’s convoy caused the incident, the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, issued a statement on Thursday debunking the report and setting the record straight.

“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 Tinubu, was responsible for the tragic death of a young girl in Akure. This claim is entirely baseless.”

According to Odunlami-Omisanya, eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations revealed that the incident was caused by a hit-and-run driver in an unregistered white Lexus vehicle, unrelated to the First Lady’s convoy.

A witness who pursued the fleeing vehicle on a motorcycle immediately after the crash, which occurred in the Oba-Ile area of Akure, provided crucial information that was corroborated by other eyewitnesses and the victim’s family.

The police also clarified misinformation regarding the victim’s age. “Contrary to the false report that the deceased was nine years old, her parents confirmed that she was seven,” the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, has reportedly visited the bereaved family to offer condolences and assure them of a thorough and transparent investigation.

“At no point was the First Lady’s convoy involved in this tragedy,” the Command reiterated, urging the public and media outlets to verify facts before disseminating sensitive information.