FIJ
The much-awaited sentencing of Drambi Vandi, an assistant superintendent of police, who murdered pregnant Bolanle Raheem, a lawyer, on December 25, 2022, in Lagos State, occurred on Monday with the court pronouncing him guilty and sentencing him to death by hanging.
Raheem, a Lagos State-based legal practitioner, was in a private car with her family when they encountered some police officers from Ajiwe Police Station located in Ajah. The encounter ended the lawyer’s life when Vandi shot her right in the presence of her family.
The killing was greeted with a massive outrage from private citizens, public advocacy groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Lagos State Government. The government would later arraign Vandi as a defendant in the case numbered LD/20598c/22.
This report presents important details of what transpired in court as recorded by the NBA brief-watching team.
COMMENCEMENT OF TRIAL
On January 16, 2023, the court commenced the trial with the presentation by Moyo Onigbanjo, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as the prosecution lead. Yakubu Maikyau, NBA president, led the watching-brief team.
Adetokumbo Odutola, the defence lawyer, however, asked for a clearer copy of the charge sheet, claiming that the initial copy in his file was blurred. The prosecution responded that the case be allowed to proceed as the charge sheet was not to be tendered as evidence. This was not opposed.
The prosecution called Inspector Matthew Ameh, one of the policemen that accosted Bolanle, and he testified that he was present at the scene of the crime. He further informed the court that he and Ebimine Flyegha, also a policeman, attempted to stop a car without a number plate but the car failed to stop and the next thing he heard was a gunshot sound. He said he noticed that one side of the windscreen of the car was shattered and a lady soon came down from the car. The lady held Vandi, screaming “you have killed my sister”.
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