A six-year-old girl was tragically killed today, March 5, during a police pursuit of a suspected criminal in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State.
The girl’s father, Nnamdi Ugorji, told SaharaReporters that officers from the Moshalashi Police Station were chasing a suspect when they struck his daughter at the Ecobank roundabout.
“The police were pursuing someone when they hit my daughter with their vehicle. She was with her siblings, going to the ATM at EcoBank, and while they were on their way back, a speeding car ran over her,” Ugorji explained.
He accused the police of attempting to cover up the incident by falsely claiming that the vehicle had overturned.
“Anyone who sees the car can tell they are lying about it somersaulting. The car is at the police station, but they want to conceal their actions to excuse themselves. The police caused this tragic event, and they are lying. My baby was only six years old—she was my first daughter,” Ugorji said, his voice filled with grief.
He revealed that he was at work in Ogba when he received the heartbreaking news about his daughter’s death.
“Why would police officers, responsible for preventing crime and protecting lives, lie about the car overturning when that is not what happened? They know what they did to my child. They have children themselves—would they want something like this to happen to them? Why are they lying? Don’t they fear God and the Last Day?” he lamented.
The devastated father mentioned that his daughter’s body would be taken to their village in Abia State for a proper burial. He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Women Affairs, and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to intervene and ensure that those responsible for his daughter’s death are held accountable.
“I don’t know what to do now. As a poor man, where will I find the money to take her to the village for burial? It is unfortunate that those who are supposed to protect us are the ones causing harm. I am calling on all compassionate Nigerians to help me. I want justice for my daughter,” he pleaded.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that, contrary to initial claims, it was a commercial bus that struck the child. “We sympathize with the family of the deceased. However, preliminary investigations indicate that the girl was hit by a commercial bus whose driver panicked and recklessly sped off upon seeing an approaching police van. The driver is currently in custody, and an investigation is ongoing.”
