Bolanle Raheem: Police Witness: A lawyer-occupied vehicle posed no threat

At the Tafawa Balewa Square location of the Lagos State High Court, a second prosecution witness, a police officer, testified (TBS). 

On Wednesday, the prosecution began its case against Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Drambi Vandi, who is accused of killing a lawyer from Lagos, Mrs. Bolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day of last year. 

A second prosecution witness, police officer Mr. Fiyegha Ebimine, testified in front of the Lagos State High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). 

On the day of the event, Ebimine was a member of the three-person team from the Ajiwe police station led by Vandi that was conducting a stop and search operation underneath the Ajah Bridge. 

The witness, who was introduced by Onigbanjo, supported Inspector Matthew Ameh’s account of the shooting by claiming that he, too, heard a “noise” shortly after the deceased and her husband slowly drove past Ameh and him in a Toyota Venza. 

“A man was driving, and there was a woman in the passenger seat. I slammed on the brakes.There was no halt. They went by me. Why? I pondered. He wasn’t going fast. “He was flagged down by Ameh as well, but he continued on,” Ebimine added. 

A gunshot was heard shortly after, he claimed, “from the back.” What’s going on? I questioned Ameh. When the deceased was struck by a car, a female passenger in that car raced to ASP Vandi and accused him of killing her “jet sister.” 

The witness testified in court that shortly after, a throng amassed, descended on Vandi, pulled him from a Korope (commercial minibus) into which he had fled for cover, and placed him in the deceased’s vehicle. 

“I was trying to figure out what was going on,” he stated. I made a phone call to Vandi to inquire. “Oga, what happened?” I questioned. “Wait,” he said. 

He claimed that when he contacted Vandi again a few minutes later, the reply was the same. 

In response to inquiries from Onigbanjo, the witness claimed that when the Venza drove by, neither he nor the general public were in danger. 

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Onigbanjo: “Was there any danger to your life as the Toyota Venza passed by?” 

“No, no, no, no,” said Ebimine. 

Onigbanjo: “Was there any threat to the general public as the Venza approached?” 

“No, they were peaceful there,” Ebimine said. 

The witness, who had already admitted to carrying a gun, denied using it. 

Adetokunbo Odutola, the defendant’s attorney, announced to the court during cross-examination that he planned to travel to the crime scene in order to better comprehend the police officers’ actions. 

He further stated that he had not yet obtained the ballistics report for the gun and ammunition that ASP Vandi is said to have used. 

Justice Harrison gave the attorney advice to submit a formal application and continued the trial until Thursday, January 26. 

Bolanle, a 41-year-old real estate consultant and award-winning property lawyer with more than 10 years of call-to-bar expertise, was slain on Christmas Day as she was returning from a family excursion. 

The trial is ongoing. 

The third and fourth prosecution witnesses, the deceased’s husband, Gbenga Raheem, and her sister, will be heard by Justice Ibironke Harrison tomorrow. 

The prosecution of ASP Drambi Vandi for the Christmas Day shooting death of female attorney Bolanle Raheem by the Lagos State Government began on January 16. 

Vandi was charged with murder on a single count by the Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Moyo Onigbanjo, who personally oversaw the prosecution. 

Three days after the event, on December 28, a charge was brought against Vandi, alleging that she killed Raheem by shooting her in the chest in violation of Section 223 of the Lagos State Criminal Law from 2015. 

ASP Vandi pleaded not guilty.

Adetokunbo Odutola, the attorney for Vandi, finished the cross-examination of Inspector Matthew Ameh, the first witness for the prosecution, at the hearing on Wednesday. 

Ameh reiterated his claim that although he was unarmed that day, he heard “a commotion” that suggested Mrs. Raheem had been shot. 

Following his testimony, Mr. Fiyegha Ebimine, a second police inspector and prosecution witness, took the witness stand.