A Lagos police inspector, Mercy Bassey, has been killed by a hit-and-run driver while carrying out route-lining duty ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s arrival in the state on Tuesday.
Bassey, who was attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, was reportedly struck by a black Highlander SUV while crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at the Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island.
A security source, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred at about 2:30pm during the security operation for the presidential movement.
The source said the vehicle’s registration number and the identity of its driver were unknown, adding that the SUV fled the scene after hitting the officer.
The source said, “Yesterday, at about 2:30pm, while on route lining for the Presidential movement, Inspector Mercy Bassey, attached to Ikotun Divisional Police Station, Lagos, was hit by a black Highlander SUV while crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island, Lagos.
“The registration number of the vehicle and the driver are not yet known. The vehicle sped off after hitting the officer. The vehicle was chased by patrolmen on duty but escaped to an unknown destination.”
According to the source, the injured officer was taken to the General Hospital, Ebute Metta, but died while awaiting treatment.
“The victim was rushed to General Hospital, Ebute Metta, but later died while awaiting treatment. The corpse will be moved to a morgue in Yaba for preservation,” the source added.
The source further said the police were making efforts to obtain CCTV footage from the area to help identify the vehicle and apprehend the driver.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details.
“We don’t want to comment on the matter at the moment,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, the driver and the vehicle involved had not been identified.
The incident occurred as security agencies intensified operations across Lagos ahead of Tinubu’s arrival in the state.
The PUNCH reported that the President arrived in Lagos on Tuesday after spending part of his vacation in France, having earlier concluded his working vacation in the United Kingdom.
His aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, at 6.22pm.
