NIGERIAN POLICE FOUND DEAD IN HIS OWN CAR.

There was shock at the Police Training School on Oba Akinjobi Way in the Ikeja area of Lagos on Tuesday when policemen and shop owners found a corporal lying dead in his car.

Punch Metro learnt that the corporal, Elias Agi, with force number 386982, who was suspected to have died of drug overdose, was found dead around 7.30am in his blue Volkswagen Passat car.

It was gathered that Agi, who was attached to the Safer Highway Patrol, Lagos State Police Command, had been one of the officers undergoing the corporal-to-sergeant promotion course at the school.

Punch Metro learnt that the promotion is divided into two parts: an examination section and an interview.

The deceased was said to have sat for the examination and passed. However, the policeman was said to have missed the interview with the Police Assessment Committee because Badagry, where he lived, is far away from Ikeja where the interview should have taken place.

It was learnt that Agi, having failed to meet the full requirement for promotion, became sad when he discovered that the exercise had ended for the year.

He was said to have returned to his car, reclined on the driver’s seat and ingested the drug.

When Punch Metro got to the police school at about 10am, it was learnt that Agi’s corpse had been deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital’s morgue for an autopsy.

Our correspondent was told that the shock of missing the assessment for his promotion might have forced the corporal to use drugs when he returned to his car, leading to his death.

A security man, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said the gates were locked temporarily to prevent people from entering to see the corporal’s corpse.

He said, “He had got to the school on Monday afternoon, but we found him dead around 7.30am today (Tuesday). He had just finished the promotional course to become a sergeant and passed. He was to appear before a promotion committee for the final assessment, but he came late for the exercise.

“Minutes later, he sat inside the car and then took some drugs. After a few minutes, he stretched on the driver’s seat and that was the end. We got to know when people started gathering to look at him. We had to lock the gates to prevent more crowds from pouring in.”

A policeman, who was simply identified as Umar, said policemen attached to the Area ‘F’ command, Ikeja, came to remove the corpse.

He said, “He was living in Badagry. After the course was concluded on Monday, he came on that evening but he did not meet the promotion assessment committee. Minutes later, he called his wife that he was going to kill himself as his promotion was not feasible after the lateness.

“It was the Area ‘F’ policemen who came to convey his body to the morgue. He was not a poor policeman. He had a house and a Jeep in the Badagry area. He must have died from depression or shock.”

When our correspondent got to the training school commandant’s office, the secretaries said he was unavailable for comment.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, confirmed Agi’s death.

He added that the Homicide Section of the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, was investigating the matter to ascertain the cause of Agi’s death.

He said, “Preliminary investigation carried out so far revealed that tablets and some poisonous substances were found around his corpse while still inside his car.

“His body was removed from the vehicle and taken to the LASUTH morgue. The case has been taken over by the Homicide Section, Yaba, with a view to ascertaining the cause of his death.”