Wia dis foto come from, Bolanle Raheem/BBC
Police officer Vandi Dramdi dey accused of shooting Bolanle Raheem
Lawyer to di family of Raheem Bolanle, di lawyer wey one police officer Vandi Dramdi shoot and kill on 25 December don react to di judgement of one Lagos state High Court wey sentence her killer to death by hanging.
Justice Ibironke Harrison sentence Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Drambi Vandi, to death by hanging afta e find am guilty for di murder of di Lagos-based lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem.
Olakitan Agbaje, di lawyer wey tok on behalf of Raheem family tok say di family dey satisfied wit di judgement.
She say although di family understand say dia loved one no fit come back, dem dey satisfied to know say di pesin wey cause her death dey behind bar and go face punishment for im offence.
“Di incident of 25 December, 2022 go forever remain a tragedy to di Raheem family because e change plenty pipo lives, di life of her husband, daughter and plenty pipo wey love her.
“However justice don happun, within di period of 10 months, Justice Harrison deliver her judgement and di accuse don dey sentenced to death by hanging and we believe say dis na step to reduce di pain on di family members.” Lawyer Agbaje tok.
Chairman of di Lagos state chapter of di Nigeria Bar Association wey she be dia member also welcome di judgement of di court.
Lawyer Bisi Makanjuola tok say dem hope say dis kain judgement go serve as warning to errant officers wey dey feel say dem fit maltreat citizens and nothing go happun.
E add say di NBA dey advocate for fast delivery of judgement.
High Court for Lagos don order death by hanging for police officer Vandi Dramdi wey shoot lawyer Bolanle Raheem on Christmas day afta dem find am guilty of di accuse.
During di court hearing, di judge read out di summary of dia findings. Di judge read say di two police officers wey dey di scene of di incident confam say dem truly flag down di vehicle of lawyer Bolanle Raheem around Ajah under bridge.
Di two wey witness for court tok say one of dem first flag down di vehicle but e no stop, till e reach di next police officer wey also flag down di vehicle. Di two officers give witness say na gunshot dem hear but dem no see police Vandi pull any trigger.
Autopsy wey dem do ontop di deceased reveal say dem retrieve bullet from di body of di late lawyer Bolanle.
Di police officer bin plead not guilty for court. During cross examination, na about 27 exhibits dem tender for court.
Police Vandi tell court say im dey about 100m distance from di vehicle and no way im fit pull trigger from AK-47 at close range.
Im also add say if im pull di trigger, di bullet of di gun no fit stay for di body of di deceased sake of di kind gun wey im carry dat day saying dat na street boys dey throw banger.
During cross examination, court reveal say out of all witnesses, na only officer Vandi tok say im no hear sound of gunshot, rather, say na street boys dey throw banger.
Di court establish say na gunshot truly kill lawyer Bolanle and di bullet enta her chest. Part of di court establishment be say witnesses confam say dem hear gunshot wen di incident happun and di death dey ‘instantaneous’.
Court hold say di defendant (Vandi) na di only pesin wey dey di angle wey fit shoot di deceased and e no fit be banger wey go pierce through di deceased heart.
Di court come find di defendant (Vandi) guilty.
Raheem and her family bin dey return from Christmas service on 25 December 2022 wen di incident happun. Di incident happun around Ajah under bridge.
Tori be say her husband na im bin dey drive, Barr. Omobolanle sit for front wit her husband. Di officer ask dem to park and dem bin dey try park well, wen suddenly, di police officer shoot at close range right into her chest.
Barrister Omobolanle Raheem husband tori wetin happun
Di husband of di lawyer wey one Assistant Superintendent of Police, Dambri Vandi shoot im wife for Ajah, Lagos state on Sunday, 25 December tok say im and im wife and dia children plus oda family members bin dey come from church wen di incident happun.
Oga Raheem say on dia way from church, dem decide to go jolly.
Dem bin go one supermarket for Abraham Adesanya buy Ice-Cream, dem later go get pizza, na as dem dey go house, di incident occur.
“As we comot di place, we come dey go towards Ajah to go do U-turn to come back Abraham Adesanya. Wen we take di U-turn, we see policemen dey stop some vehicles. As we approach dem, dem say make we stop, and for di process, we hear one loud sound on my wife side window. All of a sudden, I see blood dey comot from her chest.
“I immediately run out; my sister-in-law, wey dey wit us also run out and hold di policeman; e cock im gun to shoot her too.
“E no make sense to follow am tok, so I go see if e get anytin wey I fit do to help my wife; I see as she dey struggle for breath, and by dat time, my sister-in-law don bring di policeman into di car and don push am to di front seat.
“We drive go one hospital but dem say dem no fit handle am; we later carry her go Grandville Hospital, where dem confam her dead.”
How Lagos state file murder charge against officer Vandi
For December 2022, Lagos State Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, bin file a one-count charge against ASP Drambi Vandi for di murder of Mrs Bolanle Raheem.
E file am wen Vandi appear before di Chief Magistrate Court, Yaba.
Di charge read say, “Dat you ASP Drambi Vandi on di 25th day of December 2022, for Ajah Road, along the Lekki Expressway, Lagos, unlawfully kill one Omobolanle Raheem by shooting am for her chest contrary to Section 223 of di Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
With di charge, di Attorney General, apply say make dem officer Vandi pursuant to Section 264 of di Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos, 2015.
E tell di Chief Magistrate, Miss Adeola Olatunbosun say di basis for di remand is to allow di police conclude dia investigations into di mata.
Di magistrate grant di request to remand di defendant for di Ikoyi Correctional Centre and order say make di case file dey duplicated and sent to di Director of Public Prosecution, Dr. Jide Martins for legal advice.
Di tragic tori on a christmas day catch di attention of di kontri and make pipo call for justice.
Di den Nigeria Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba recommend di immediate suspension of di Assistant Superintendent of Police, Vandi,
Di tori even catch di attention of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari wey condemn di killing bin direct di police authorities to “take di strongest possible action” against di culprits wey dey detention.