An Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the Lagos State Police Command has been found dead inside his jeep around Moshalashi Roundabout, Ipaja Road, in the Alimosho area of the state.
The officer, identified as ASP Saheed Bashorun, had reportedly parked the vehicle in the middle of the road while the engine was on.
Items including his service pistol reportedly containing some ammunition, a police identity card and a phone were said to have been recovered from the vehicle.
It was learnt that around 5am on Monday, June 28, some road users observed that the jeep was stationary within the roundabout while its engine kept running. They reportedly moved close to the vehicle and made repeated prompting without getting any response from the driver.
Our correspondent gathered that distress calls were placed to the emergency control room and officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service visited the scene to examine the officer, who was confirmed dead on the spot.
Policemen from the Gowon Police Division were also said to have been mobilised to the scene.
A reliable source privy to the emergency response said the deceased was identified as a police officer through the identity card and the service pistol found on him, adding that there was no mark of violence on his body to suggest foul play.
The source said, “The police got a distress call from the control room around 5am that day to visit Moshalashi Roundabout. A team deployed at the scene found a white jeep parked at the centre of the road while the engine was on.
“LASMABUS team visited the spot and confirmed that the driver was dead after examining him. No foul play was suspected. The driver was later identified as one ASP Saheed Bashorun attached to the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, Ikeja. His police pistol with some live ammunition, ID card, mobile phone and books were recovered.”
An artisan in the area, Babatunde Akinjide, told our correspondent that he heard people talking about the incident when he resumed work on Monday.
He stated those who claimed to have witnessed the incident confirmed that there were no injury marks on the late officer.
Akinjide said, “I learnt many passersby had earlier observed that the vehicle was stationary but were afraid to move closer. Some people eventually summoned up courage and saw a driver lying lifeless behind the wheels. I learnt he was a policeman but no one could say where he was coming from or going to at that time of the day.”
A resident, who identified himself only as Junior, said he was going to work when he saw a crowd around the roundabout.
He said, “I wanted to board a bus at a bus stop close to the roundabout when I saw the crowd. That was about 7am. I learnt that a policeman was found dead in his vehicle. The vehicle had been removed at the time. Many people were insinuating that he could have died of cardiac arrest because there was no injury on his body.”
Tenant found dead in apartment
In a related development, the decomposing body of a tenant at a building on Ogunjobi Street, in the Pleasure area, Oke-Odo, Lagos State, has been recovered by the police.
The tenant, one Nike, was found dead in her apartment last Friday by her neighbour, Bolaji Kolade. Kolade had reportedly observed that he did not see the late Nike for two days and decided to knock on her door.
“Upon checking her door, he discovered that it was locked from inside. The neighbour also noticed that flies had perched around the window and there was foul smell emanating from the room,” a source in the community said.
It was gathered that Kolade called the attention of other neighbours to his observation and a complaint was lodged at the Oke-Odo division.
“A police team visited the scene and upon arrival, the door was forcefully opened. The decomposing body of the said Nike was found lying on the bed,” a police source said, adding that “no mark of violence was observed on the body.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, had yet to reply to a message sent to him on the incidents as of the time of filing this report.
However, a reliable source confided in our correspondent that the officer’s body had been handed over to his family and buried according to Islamic rites.