Emmanuel OchayiThe Lagos State High Court, located at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex in Igbosere, Lagos Island on Monday, handed down a death-by-hanging sentence to a suspended Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Drambi Vandi.
This sentence comes as a response to Vandi’s conviction for the murder of Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem who was killed on Christmas Day.
Justice Ibironke Harrison presided over the case and emphasized that the Lagos State Government, acting as the prosecution, had successfully established the defendant’s guilt beyond any reasonable doubt.
The judge’s verdict was unequivocal: “The court finds the defendant guilty on one count of murder. You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead.”
This legal battle began on January 16, when the Lagos State Government brought Vandi to court, charging him with the shooting death of the 41-year-old pregnant lawyer.
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The tragic incident occurred at the Ajah underbridge checkpoint on December 25, 2022. Vandi faced a one-count charge of murder, as stipulated under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Despite calls for police reform in Nigeria, some members of the Nigeria Police Force continue to engage in highhandedness and brutality towards citizens. This issue led to widespread protests, particularly the #EndSARS movement, which demanded the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Two years later, extrajudicial killings have yet abated. In fact, the highhandedness and brutality of the cops have increased with families grieving over the senseless killing of their loved ones.
Here are five victims of police Senseless shooting:
Toba Adedeji, a journalist, fell victim to a trigger-happy policeman’s gunshot during his coverage of a protest in Osogbo, Osun State, on May 23, 2022.
In a separate incident, Emeka Uwalaka, a National Diploma Civil Engineering student at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, was shot by a policeman from the Nekede Police Division on July 11, 2022, while returning from church. The bullet struck Uwalaka’s hostel gate in Umuokomoche, Owerri West Local Government Area, with no official police statement provided.
Godsent Obhafuoso met a tragic end on August 13, 2022, during his master’s late mother’s burial in the Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State. A policeman allegedly fired gunshots, fatally hitting Obhafuoso while he was recording the event. The family sought the Inspector General of Police’s intervention for the officer’s prosecution.
Oliver Ezra Barawani, a Taraba State University graduate, lost his life on June 4, 2022, when a policeman allegedly shot him at a checkpoint near Jalingo. The incident went unanswered by the state police, leaving many questions about the officer’s identity and accountability
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