Trial has opened in the murder of Lagos based lawyer, Bolanle Raheem.
Her alleged killer is a police officer ASP Drambi Vandi who’s now been suspended
He pleaded not guilty to the one count charge on Monday.
Drambi Vandi’s trial is before justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos state high court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa square annex in Igbosere
In the one count charge which the defendant pleaded not guilty to, he is accused of unlawfully killing the deceased in her chest on December 25, 2022 at Ajah road, contrary to section 223 of the Criminal law of lagos state.
His colleague who was part of the patrol team at Ajah underbridge area where the alleged killing took place was the first witness of the prosecuting team which was led by the attorney general of Lagos state, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN).
In his testimony, inspector Matthew Ameh said before they set out that day for the patrol, the DPO had instructed them to protect lives and property and not to fire any shot except if they are in danger.
He said that while he, as well as the accused and one Inspector Ebimine were conducting stop and search operations, a car drove towards them and they flagged it down but it didn’t stop.
“Ebimine was standing in front, I was in the middle and SUPOL Vandi was at the back. I was on duty on Christmas day. We were posted to Ajah underbridge, SUPOL Vandi was the leader of that team. I didn’t see how many people were in the car because they didn’t stop. The next thing I heard was a gunshot. I looked back to see what was happening, I saw a car in which the front window was falling down. The next thing I saw is that one black woman jumped down from the vehicle, she held SUPOL Vandi and she said Oga you have killed my sister. The next thing, they entered their vehicle and zoomed off inside the same car, with Vandi.
As they left, we had to go back to the station. It was later when we were at the station that we saw the DPO and they brought him into the station with the patrol vehicle. The incident happened around 1pm.
The (deceased’s) car is a Toyota vehicle and it has no plate number.”
The Attorney general also asked the witness if there was any threat to the lives of the patrol team, as at the time of the incident, but he replied in the negative.
“When the DPO came back, he asked us to write a statement. The next day, we were moved to state CID at Panti. When we got to Panti, the assistant commissioner of police, interrogated the three of us, we wrote another statement again there.”
During cross examination, the witness also clarified that he wrote two statements during interrogation.
Also In appearance at Monday’s hearing were a senior advocate of Nigeria, Titilola Akinlawon, holding brief for the deceased’s family, and the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau and other National officers of the NBA.
The chairman of the NBA Lagos Chapter, Ikechukwu Uwanna and other members of the branch where the deceased belonged to were also in attendance.
Further hearing is fixed for January 25 and 26.
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