Female Police Inspector Dies After Hit-and-Run Crash During Tinubu’s Lagos Movement

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 movement in Lagos.
Bassey, who was attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, was reportedly hit by a black Toyota Highlander at about 2:30pm on Tuesday. The incident occurred as she was crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at the Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island.
A security source told PUNCH Metro that the inspector had been deployed as part of the security operation for the presidential movement when the vehicle struck her. The SUV reportedly sped away immediately after the collision.
The source said patrol officers on duty chased the vehicle but were unable to stop it. The registration number of the SUV and the identity of the driver remained unknown as of the time the report was filed.
Bassey was reportedly taken to the General Hospital, Ebute Metta, for medical treatment. However, the officer allegedly died while awaiting treatment. Her remains were expected to be moved to a morgue in Yaba for preservation.
Police authorities were said to be working to obtain CCTV footage from the area in an effort to identify the vehicle and locate the driver. The investigation is expected to help establish what happened and determine responsibility for the fatal crash.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, 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.
The death occurred amid heightened security operations in Lagos as security agencies deployed personnel ahead of the President’s movement across the state. The driver and vehicle involved had not been identified as of the time of filing the report.