Hit & Run Driver Kills Lagos Police Inspector During Tinubu’s Return.

 

A female police inspector, Mercy Bassey, has died after she was reportedly knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while on route-lining duty ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s arrival in Lagos.

Bassey, who was attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, was reportedly struck by a black Highlander SUV at the Adekunle Intersection on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Lagos Island, at about 2.30pm on Tuesday.

According to a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the officer was crossing the bridge while deployed for route-lining duties connected to the President’s movement when the incident occurred.

The source said the registration number of the vehicle and the identity of its driver were unknown, adding that the SUV sped away after hitting Bassey.

“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,” the source said.

Bassey was reportedly rushed to the General Hospital, Ebute Metta, for treatment but died while awaiting medical attention.

The source said her remains were to be moved to a morgue in Yaba for preservation.

The police are reportedly working to obtain CCTV footage from the area in an effort to identify the vehicle and apprehend the driver.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that the incident occurred 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 the report, the identity of the driver and the registration number of the vehicle had not been established publicly.

President Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Tuesday after spending part of his working vacation in France and the United Kingdom. His aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 6.22pm.