Justice Ibironke Harrison of a Lagos High Court has sentenced a police officer, ASP Darambi Vandi, to death by hanging for shooting Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem, dead, on Christmas Day of 2022.
ASP Drambi Vandi, allegedly shot and killed Barrister Omobolanle Raheem in Ajah area of Lagos State was charged at the Chief Magistrate Court in Yaba area of Lagos state on one- count charge of murder. The one count charge filed against Vandi read, “That you ASP Drambi Vandi on the 25th day of December 2022, at Ajah Road, along the Lekki Expressway, Lagos, unlawfully killed one Omobolanle Raheem by shooting the deceased in the chest contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
Justice Harrison held that the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The judge also held that the convict shot the deceased at close range.
ASP Vandi in his application on the no-case submission, had asked the court to dismiss the suit and discharge him claiming that he had no case to answer.
In his arguments, the defence counsel, Adetokunbo Odutola, told the court to note among other things that none of the eyewitnesses saw the defendant shoot and that the ballistic report of the gun allegedly fired expressly stated that the bullet could not be linked with any of the firearms recovered from the police officers at the scene.
Oduntola who argued that the pathologist who testified mentioned that the bullet penetrated from the left through the armpit while the prosecution stated that the deceased was shot in the chest.
However, the prosecution led by the Attorney General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), had countered the arguments and urged the defendant to defend himself insisting that the prosecution had successfully made its case against him.
