The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department in the United States has arrested a driver linked to a fatal hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a Nigerian graduate, Oluwalayomi Fadero.

According to a report by a local US media outlet, WSMV4, obtained on Tuesday, the incident occurred on Friday after the suspect, Ray Eugene Padgett, allegedly stole a vehicle and fled.

The report stated that the owner of the truck tracked it to a location, and upon realising he was being followed, the suspect reversed and rammed into a vehicle behind him.

The police subsequently deployed a helicopter to monitor the situation. However, as the suspect attempted to escape, he reportedly rammed into an unmarked police vehicle, triggering a high-speed chase.

“The intention at that point is to keep an eye on the truck until it finally stops, have ground units move in, and take the man into custody,” the MNPD Public Information Officer, Don Aaron, was quoted as saying.

The pursuit, which lasted about five minutes, reached speeds of up to 80 miles per hour along Murfreesboro Pike toward the county line.

It ended around 2:30 p.m. when the suspect drove into oncoming traffic near the intersection of Murfreesboro Pike and Hickory Woods Drive.

Police said he crashed into a white sedan driven by Fadero, pushing the vehicle approximately 100 yards into a ditch. The 23-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect was subsequently arrested and taken to hospital. He has been charged with criminal homicide.

Authorities said Padgett was on parole at the time of the incident.

“We believe that he was on parole when he stole the truck and set off the chain of events that claimed the life of an innocent Nashville woman who was returning home,” the police said.

Meanwhile, alumni and members of Fisk University, where Fadero graduated, have mourned her death.

“It’s heartbreaking to know she was near her home and close to where she lived,” a Fisk alumna, Jessica Williams, was quoted as saying.

Fadero’s former professor, Janet Walsh, described her as kind and compassionate, noting her commitment to volunteer work.

“These small acts of kindness and consideration truly make the world a better place. I’m honoured to have known her and witnessed her sense of global citizenship,” Walsh said.

A makeshift memorial has since been set up at the crash site along Murfreesboro Pike.

In addition, a GoFundMe account created to support her family with burial expenses had raised over $15,000 as of the time of filing this report.

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Two Nigerian nationals based in Ireland, Francis Ogbuefi, 42, and Steven Silvester, 32, have been sentenced to a combined jail term of over 16 years for their roles in what was described as a “highly sophisticated, global money laundering scheme”.

According to Raidió Teilifís Éireann on Friday, the duo were arrested and prosecuted following a lengthy investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau of Ireland.

Ogbuefi, of Clonard Road, Crumlin, Dublin, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, while Silvester, of The Paddocks, Morristown, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, received a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.

The pair had allegedly travelled from Nigeria to Ireland to engage in organised fraud.

The total value of the scams linked to the case was put at €6.17m, according to the report.

Both men were said to have denied the charges but were found guilty by a jury after a trial last month.

Court proceedings, according to the RTE, revealed that more than €6m was stolen and laundered through various schemes, including romance fraud and smishing, with funds moved across multiple bank accounts.

The reports disclosed that investigators found that the two men coordinated the provision and monitoring of accounts used to receive illicit funds.

Evidence was said to have shown that they received requests from across the world—many linked to Nigerian phone numbers—seeking accounts for fraudulent transactions.

The report added that data recovered from Ogbuefi’s phone detailed job specifications, transaction volumes, and account requirements.

He was said to have also been found to have instructed that accounts be opened under Irish names to avoid suspicion.

The report quoted prosecutors as saying Ogbuefi acted as a key contact for collaborators outside Ireland.

A nine-minute instructional video on how to carry out the fraud was also discovered on his device, alongside images showing him overseeing transactions and directing the group’s activities.

He reportedly took a 20 per cent cut of the proceeds and claimed to have extensive experience in the scheme.

Further evidence indicated that Ogbuefi entered Ireland as a student, while Silvester had initially lived in direct provision before becoming transient.

The presiding judge, Martin Nolan, reportedly described the operation as complex, noting that money laundering networks rely heavily on access to bank accounts.

The judge said both men demonstrated a strong understanding of banking systems, regularly testing their vulnerabilities.

While the crimes were difficult to detect, the report noted that the judge commended investigators for pursuing leads and presenting compelling evidence.

The judge also noted that the convicts had no prior criminal records and were regarded positively by their families, describing them as intelligent and capable of reform.

The case adds to a growing number of fraud-related convictions involving Nigerians abroad.

This year alone, over 100 Nigerians have been arrested in Ghana over alleged fraud and other offences.

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The Kebbi State Police Command on Tuesday said all the suspects linked to the circumstances surrounding the death of two young sisters at the General Hospital, Zuru, have been detained.

The development comes as the state government’s probe panel, set up to investigate the incident, has begun sittings in Zuru.

The sisters, aged three and six, reportedly died on March 18 after allegedly being administered the wrong medication during treatment at the hospital.

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Nafi’u Abubakar, said arrests had been made and investigations were ongoing.

“We are aware of the incident. All those involved have been arrested, and investigations are ongoing,” he said.

PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that the state government constituted a special committee to probe the controversial deaths, following public outrage over allegations that the children died after receiving a wrongful injection.

Governor Nasir Idris approved the panel, with the decision conveyed in Birnin Kebbi by the Secretary to the State Government, Yakubu Bala Tafida.

In a statement issued on Monday by the media aide to the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmad Aliyu, the panel—sitting at the hospital—heard testimonies from key witnesses, including hospital staff and the parents of the deceased.

“Medical personnel, including the principal medical officer, Dr Thomas Gode; medical officer, Dr Mohammed Fakai; and the nurses on duty from the day the girls were admitted until the third day, when they died, all appeared before the panel and were cross-examined,” Aliyu disclosed.

The statement added that the deceased’s parents, led by the father, Ibrahim Shuni, alongside other family members, also presented their case and accounts of what transpired during the period.

“As part of its assignment, the committee met with hospital staff, who highlighted the adverse effects of communication gaps among personnel.

“They stressed the need for teamwork and timely consultation in critical situations involving life-saving decisions,” the statement noted.

According to Aliyu, the chairman of the panel and commissioner for information, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed BK, urged staff members of the hospital to adhere strictly to medical ethics, warning that costly mistakes that could endanger lives must be avoided at all times.

“The Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Ismaila Yakubu Augie, also called for greater synergy and cooperation across all levels of the profession to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

“Other contributors included the Provost of Kauran Gwandu College of Nursing Sciences, Ambursa; Dr Murtala Musa Muhammed; Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Comrade Kelani Abdulwaliyyi; Director of Inspectorate, Dr Lawan Kangiwa; and Director of Nursing Services, Alhaji Hantsi Garba.

“The committee will continue its sittings, with more witnesses expected to testify.”