Police Recover Service Gun As Officer's Dead Body Is Discovered Inside Vehicle

Moshalashi roundabout

According to a report by The PUNCH, aan 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.

Sunday PUNCH 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 told Sunday PUNCH that 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.”