Policeman commits suicide for missing promotional exam due to Lagos traffic

The lifeless body of Corporal Agi Elias inside his car caused pandemonium yesterday, at the Police Training School, Ikeja, Lagos.It was gathered that the policeman, attached to Safer High Way Patrol, reportedly committed suicide at about 8p.m, Monday, after he missed an assessment exam held at the training school. Empty cans of pesticide and some tablets, suspected to have been taken by the deceased, were reportedly found inside the car.

Vanguard learned that Elias, who was part of the policemen undergoing a promotional course that ended Monday, was trapped in traffic on his way from Badagry.

He got to the school, only to discover that the assessment exam conducted by a Commissioner of Police was over. Report said passionate pleas to the examiners fell on deaf ears.

The distraught corporal, as gathered called his wife on phone and informed her not to expect him back home again. He was also said to have told her to come and pick his corpse at the training college.
When Vanguard arrived the scene yesterday morning, Elias’ widow, family members, friends and colleagues were seen weeping profusely.

According to one of his course mates identified simply as Sanni,

“we have been here together since Friday on a training course. Yesterday, Elias was coming from his division in Badagry when he got trapped in traffic, which resulted in his missing the assessment exams.
“He begged the officer in charge to help him but they told him it was late and there was nothing they could do because it was the Commissioner of Police, CP Fatia Owoseni, that conducted the assessment exam.”

Another policeman, who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said:

“Even if he missed the assessment exams, that is not enough reason for him to take his life. His death is not ordinary.
“Elias was comfortable. He had two cars: an SUV and the Passsat in which he died and two houses in different parts of Lagos. He did not even think of his family, his wife and two children.”

A newspaper vendor, Bekky Onabanjo, who claimed to have seen the deceased park his vehicle Monday night, said:

“One of his legs was outside while the other was inside the car. He was there till we closed for the day at about 7p.m. I thought he was relaxing.
“It was this morning (yesterday) that we found his lifeless body already stiff inside his vehicle. There was also an empty can of a pesticide inside the car, suggesting he could have committed suicide.”

The command’s spokesman, Mr. Joe Offor,confirmed the incident