Following initial reports that claimed a vehicle in the convoy of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, killed a seven-year-old girl in Akure, the capital city of Ondo, the Nigerian Police Force, Ondo State Command, has debunked the report and described it as false and misleading.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported yesterday, 17th April 2025, that the Nigerian First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, visited Ondo State to flag off the Renewed Hope Initiative Health Programme for the South-West zone and also distributed over 10,000 professional kits, comprising Crocs and scrubs, to nurses and midwives in the South-West region.
According to SaharaReporters, a vehicle in the first lady’s convoy knocked down a seven-year-old girl identified as Saratu Lawal when moving from the Airport to the venue.
The Online news website said multiple witnesses confirmed the incident that tragically took place in Oba Ile, in Akure. One of the witnesses’ accounts reads, “A seven-year-old girl by name Saratu Lawal, and a pupil of Islamiyar Arabic School, Shasha, was knocked down by a butter coloured Hilux in the government convoy of her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is on an official visit to Ondo State.”
On the contrary, the Ondo state police command has claimed Saratu Lawal was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver and dissociated the incident with the President’s wife’s convoy.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, described SaharaReporters’ publication as ‘false and misleading’.
“The attention of the Ondo State Police Command has been drawn to a false and misleading report published by Sahara Reporters on April 17. It alleged that the convoy of the first lady, Sen. Oluremi, was responsible for the tragic death of a young girl in Akure.”
“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. And not by any vehicle associated with the first lady’s convoy.” The statement read.
