By Emmanuel Daniji

A police inspector attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, Mercy Bassey, has died after she was reportedly knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while carrying out route-lining duties in Lagos.

Bassey was said to have been deployed for security duty ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s arrival in Lagos on Tuesday when the incident occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge.

According to a security source cited by Punch, the officer was crossing the bridge at the Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island, at about 2:30pm when she was struck by a black Highlander SUV.

The vehicle reportedly sped away immediately after the collision, leaving the policewoman seriously injured.

The source said patrol officers attempted to chase the vehicle but the driver escaped and could not immediately be identified. The vehicle’s registration number was also not known.

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

Her remains were expected to be moved to a morgue in Yaba, according to the source.

The incident has left police investigators searching for the driver, with efforts reportedly underway to obtain CCTV footage from the area that could help identify the vehicle and establish what happened.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that the incident occurred but declined to provide further details.

The case comes at a time when police and other security agencies were deployed across major Lagos routes to manage security and traffic operations linked to the President’s movement.

Investigators are expected to establish the identity of the driver and determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.