The Rivers State police command has said the driver of a vehicle that rammed into a shop and crushed three siblings to death on Friday will be arraigned upon completion of investigation.

The state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this to the Peoples Gazette, on Tuesday, in response to enquiry about a viral video shared by a X user @ChuksEricE, showing the scene of the crash.

He said, “This is the cry of a mother who løst her three kids due to careless driving. ‘I løst my three children, aged 10, 4, and 3, and they are trying to sweep the case under the carpet. The Nigeria Police are not saying anything about the case. Every morning, my alarm still wakes me up to take my kids to school, but when I wake up, there is no longer a child by my side.’ -Lady cr!es out this morning after a careless driver ran into shop and k!ll£d her three children in Rivers State on May 15, 2026, while reportedly teaching his girlfriend how to drive around 8pm.”

The mother, in the video, also said, “This is where I lost my three kids, I had to pick my son’s intestine out from this place, and they are not saying anything about it.”

Mr Adepoju stated that the driver was arrested after the accident when residents in the area were about to lynch him

He noted that the outcome of the investigation would determine whether he lost control of the vehicle, was drunk, or teaching his girlfriend with him in the vehicle how to drive when the accident occurred.

Mr Adepoju said, “It’s under investigation, I’m aware. When the investigation is concluded, that we’ll know what happened. The gentleman was driving his vehicle with his girlfriend beside him, lost control of the vehicle and hit three children of the same mother playing in front of their gate. The children were rushed to the hospital where they were confirmed dead, the driver was arrested and detained.

“They wanted to mob the driver, we had to protect him, and any other person from being injured. Armed robbers, kidnappers and miscreants could have used that opportunity to loot people’s property. We had to manage it, they could have also burnt the person and his vehicle. 

“It’s an accident, not murder or calculated attempt to do anything. Fatal accidents cases like that in which lives are lost are transferred to state traffic office for discreet investigation. A lot of people came to attack the station because they were infuriated about the matter. 

“He’s with the state traffic who handle fatal accident matters. He’ll be charged to court for reckless and dangerous driving. Justice will be done. Whether it was a mechanical problem, if he has licence, was reckless, drunk, or if his girlfriend was learning how to drive. Investigation will prove that, and will be dealt with accordingly.”

Noting that due process was being followed, and faulting the bereaved mother’s allegation that the matter being swept under the carpet, Mr Adepoju, who sympathised with her, stated that the police should be praised, not blamed or blackmailed, in order not to demoralise the force.

“I don’t like them blackmailing police. They should first be praising us. It’s not by intimidation or embarrassment that will make us do our work. Police work has procedures. Police can’t sweep such thing under the carpet, children of the same family are involved. Already, they have demoralised us,” Mr Adepoju explained. “They have shown that there is distrust and it will kill our morale. She can’t talk like that. Should we have allowed the mob to kill the person? Two wrongs don’t make a right. The law will take its course. Somebody who is bittered will say anything, and I’m not blaming her, because where will she start from? It’s pathetic, I sympathise with her.”