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 on Tuesday.
Bassey, who was attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, was reportedly hit by a black Toyota Highlander at the Adekunle Intersection on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Lagos Island, reports The PUNCH.
According to a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident occurred at about 2:30pm while the officer was deployed for route-lining duty for the presidential movement.
The source said the SUV knocked down Bassey while she was crossing the bridge and immediately sped away.
“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 medical attention 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 police were said to have commenced efforts to identify the vehicle and apprehend the driver, including attempts to obtain CCTV footage from the area.
Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident when contacted 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 registration number of the vehicle and the identity of the driver remained unknown.
The incident occurred amid heightened security operations in Lagos as security agencies deployed personnel for Tinubu’s movement following his return from Europe.
Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Tuesday after spending part of his working vacation in the United Kingdom and France.
His aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 6:22pm.
