The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed claims that a police patrol vehicle was responsible for the death of a six-year-old girl in the Iyana-Ipaja area on Tuesday.
The tragic incident, which occurred at the Ecobank roundabout, sparked outrage after reports suggested that police officers chasing a suspect from the Moshalashi Police Station caused the child’s death.
In a statement on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, expressed sympathy to the bereaved family but clarified that preliminary investigations indicated that the girl was struck by a commercial bus.
According to Hundeyin, the bus driver panicked at the sight of an approaching police van and sped off recklessly, leading to the fatal accident.
“We sympathise with the family of the deceased. However, preliminary investigations have shown that the girl was hit by a commercial bus whose driver panicked and recklessly sped off at the sight of an approaching police van. The driver is in custody, and the investigation is ongoing,” Hundeyin stated via his X.com handle.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s father has accused the police of attempting to cover up the incident by claiming the vehicle involved somersaulted.
The police have assured the public of a thorough investigation into the matter as the suspect remains in custody.
However an earlier reports accused police of being responsible for the reckless driving according to the father of the victim.
A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Lagos’ Iyana-Ipaja area on Tuesday when a police patrol car, in pursuit of a suspect, struck and killed a six-year-old girl.
Nnamdi Ugorji, the father of the deceased, told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that his daughter was fatally hit by the vehicle at the Ecobank roundabout while she was on her way home from withdrawing money from the ATM with her siblings.
“They were just returning, and the police, chasing someone, hit my daughter,” Ugorji said, struggling to contain his grief.
Accusing the police of trying to cover up the incident, Ugorji alleged that they falsely claimed the car had somersaulted. “It’s clear to anyone who sees the car that they’re lying about it,” he said, noting that the vehicle was currently in police custody.
The distraught father continued, “The police are trying to shift blame. My daughter, just six years old, was my first child.”
While at his workplace in Ogba, Ugorji received the devastating news of his daughter’s death. His voice full of emotion, he questioned why police officers, who are tasked with protecting the public, would fabricate a story about a crash.
“Why lie about it? They know what they did to my child. Would they want something like this to happen to their own children?” Ugorji asked.
He shared plans to transport his daughter’s body to their village in Abia State for burial. Struggling financially, he expressed concern about how to afford the funeral costs and called on President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Women Affairs, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene and hold the officers accountable.
“Those meant to protect us are the ones taking away our lives,” Ugorji said. “I want justice for my daughter.”
When contacted, Lagos State Police Command spokesperson SP Benjamin Hundeyin stated, “I am not aware of this case. I will make my findings, and if there are any developments, I will get back to you.”
