3-YEAR OLD CHILD CRUSHED TO DEATH IN LAGOS

By Aniema Akpabio Three years old Ikeoluwa Olaniyi who was playing with her friends in her grandfather’s compound was crushed to death by a teenage driver who drove into the compound carelessly in Ire Akari Estate, Isolo, Lagos on the 3rd of September. It was learnt that the teenage motorist one Chinyere Wagbaranta (18yrs) in company with her brother Chisom and a detached Police Corporal attached to Mobile Police Force 22, Felix Adebayo in a Mercedes Benz Sports Utility car, drove into the compound carelessly hitting the girl and crushing her skull.

The victim’s grandfather who was devastated by the occurrence informed us that Ikeoluwa was his first grandchild and that her father works in a bank while her mother works in an accounting firm both in the Island, the girl stays with him and his wife where she goes to a school close to his house during the week days and goes home to her parents at weekends. He further disclosed that on the eventful day, he came in and saw his granddaughter outside the main door eating yam, he told her to go inside the house, a few minutes later as he was going to the next street to visit his friend, Ikeoluwa wanted to follow him but he asked her to go inside the house but she met her friends playing in the compound and decided to join them to play. A few minutes later he heard a loud scream that Ikeoluwa has been crushed by a vehicle in the compound. By the time he got to the scene he saw his grandchild on the ground with side of her head crushed while the occupants of the vehicle had fled. He rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, Mr Adesola said he immediately rushed to the Isolo Police Division to report the incident and that was where he met the culprits.

The teenager driver, Chinyere claimed that she was on a fight mission, with one of their neighbours’ child as to the reason of her recklessness. She and her brother had hired the police Mopol to escort them to the compound to fight neighbours children, and the Mopol had aided them to escape the scene of the accident. Mr Adesola said that four days after the incident the parents of Chinyere in company of the DPO Isolo, Mr Adamu Ibrahim and a chief in the area came to apologize over the incident and begging him not to pursue the case, and that it was the will of God.

The bereaved grandfather said he has referred them to the girl’s parents and that he was disappointed that the parents had to come with the DPO to beg for them. He however berated the police for not handling the case professionally, having learnt that the police want to manipulate the age of Chinyere , by getting her a fake affidavit and giving her a soft-landing which he will not accept. He has called on the DPO of Isolo to transfer the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba. The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command Ngozi Braide confirmed the accident and that it was reported as a fatal car accident and that Chinyere has been charged to court.