BEAUTIFUL IKEOLUWA CRUSHED TO DEATH ANDTHE POLICE WANT TO COMPROMISE

Late Ikeoluwa Olaniyi

A spoiled teenage motorist, Chinyere Wagbaranta, in company of her brother, Chisom, and a police corporal attached to Police Mobile Force 22, Felix Adebayo, in a Mercedes Benz Sports Utility Vehicle, drove into the compound in Ire Akari Estate, Isolo, Lagos, on September 3, 2013,reclessly, hitting a little three-year-old girl, Ikeoluwa Olaniyi  and crushing her to death.

Adesola Elegbede, grandfather of the victim who spoke narrated the ordeal  said: “Ikeoluwa lives with me and my wife. Her father works in a bank and her mother works with an accounting firm, which are both located on Victoria Island. Ikeoluwa attends a school in Ilasa, which is not far from our house. She stays with her parents during the weekend.

“On the day of the incident, I came in and saw her eating yam just outside the main door and told her to go inside. A few minutes later, I wanted to go to my friend who lives a few houses away from mine and Ikeoluwa attempted to follow me but she met some of her friends playing in the compound so she joined them.

“A few minutes later, I heard a loud scream that Ikeoluwa had been crushed by a vehicle in the compound. I ran to the scene and observed that the side of her head had been crushed. I saw the vehicle that hit her but the occupants had fled. I carried my granddaughter to Good Health Hospital, where she was declared dead.”

He said, “I was told that Chinyere and her brother hired the Police Mobile Force member, who is attached to a bank in the area, to escort them to our compound to fight one of my neighbour’s children.

“They drove recklessly from Ire Akari Road into my compound and after crushing my little girl, the armed MOPOL aided them in escaping from the scene.”

However, in typical Nigeria Police arraignments attitude, Mr.Elegbede, said four days after the incident, Chinyere’s parents, in company with the Divisional Police Officer, Isolo, Adamu Ibrahim, and a chief in the area came to apologise over the incident, urging him not to pursue the case..

He said, “When they came to visit me four days later, I was shocked that the DPO escorted them to my place. Why should the DPO be pleading on their behalf, telling me it was the will of God? Anyway, I told them to go 

and beg Ikeoluwa’s parents because I am not her father.

“On September 9, the DPO called me again saying the Area D Commander at Mushin wanted to see all the parties involved but on getting there, the DPO told us to return to his own station.

“When I noticed that the case was not being handled properly, I asked the DPO to transfer the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, but he refused to do this.

“I am aware that Chinyere is 18 years old and is an adult. I have already started hearing that the police want to manipulate her age, get her a fake affidavit and give her a soft-landing. I will not accept this.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the accident and said the matter was reported as a fatal car accident and that Chinyere had been charged to court.