The Lagos State Police Command has clarified the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of a six-year-old girl in the Iyana-Ipaja area of the state on Tuesday.
According to earlier reports, the incident occurred when police officers from the Gowon estate Police station, Moshalashi were chasing a suspect, and a child was fatally struck at the Ecobank roundabout, Iyana-Ipaja.
The deceased’s father also reportedly accused the police of attempting to cover up the incident by claiming that the vehicle had somersaulted.
In a post on X.com on Wednesday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent Benjamin Hundeyin expressed condolences to the grieving family but refuted viral claims that a police patrol vehicle was responsible for the child’s death.
According to Hundeyin, preliminary investigations revealed that the girl was struck by a commercial bus whose driver, in a panic, sped off recklessly after spotting an approaching police van.
He wrote: ‘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.’