Slain Lawyer Posed No Threat  before Vandi  Shot Her, Says Police Witness

Wale Igbintade

Justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos High Court was yesterday told that the occupants in the Toyota Venza conveying the late Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem, posed no threat to the Police or the public when  they were shot at by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Drambi Vandi.

Testifying  in the ongoing trial of ASP Drambi Vandi, a prosecution witness, Inspector Fiyegha Ebimine said the late Omobolanle Raheem and other occupants  posed no threat to him, his colleagues or the public when their car drove past them.

Responding to questions from Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo, SAN, the witness said the occupants in the car were peaceful.

Onigbanjo asked “As the Toyota Venza drove past, was there any threat to your life?”

Ebimine: “No, no, no, no.”

Onigbanjo: “As the Venza approached, was there any threat to the general public?”

Ebimine: “No, they were peaceful there.”

Meanwhile, deceased’s husband Gbenga Raheem and her sister are expected to testify before the court today (Thursday).

Justice Ibironke Harrison fixed the date  after concluding the testimonies of the first two prosecution witnesses, Mr. Matthew Ameh and Mr. Fiyegha Ebimine – both Police Inspectors.

Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo, SAN, arraigned Vandi on a one-count charge of murder.

The charge, dated December 28, 2022, and marked LD/20598c/22, alleged that Vandi killed Raheem contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

One of the counts alleged that ASP Vandi on the 25th of December 2022 at Ajah roundabout along Lekki-Epe Expressway Lagos in the Lagos Judicial Division unlawfully killed one Omobolanle Raheem (F) by shooting her in the chest.

Vandi pleaded not guilty.

At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, Vandi’s lawyer, Adetokunbo Odutola completed his cross-examination of Inspector Ameh, which he began on January 16.

Ameh repeated his testimony that on the day and at the scene of the killing, he heard “a noise” indicating that Mrs. Raheem had been shot.

Responding to Odutola’s question, the witness explained that the noise he referenced in his statement could not have been anything else but a gunshot sound.

“When you hear the sound of a banger, it is different from a gunshot sound. A tyre bust sound is different from a gunshot sound,” Ameh added.

Upon entering the witness stand, Ebimine was led in evidence by Onigbanjo.

He confirmed Ameh’s testimony that they were in a three-man team led by Vandi on the day of the shooting.

He further corroborated Ameh’s account of the shooting, saying he also heard the “noise” shortly after the deceased and her husband slowly drove past him and Ameh in a Toyota Venza

“One woman was in the passenger seat, a man was driving. I flagged the vehicle down. It didn’t stop. They passed me. I wondered why. He was not speeding. Ameh also flagged him down but he didn’t stop,” Ebimine said

He said shortly after, he heard “a gunshot from the back. I asked Ameh, ‘What is going on?’”

The witness told the court that afterwards a crowd gathered and swooped on Vandi, brought him out of a Korope (commercial minibus) where he hid, and put him in the deceased’s car.

“I was trying to find out what was going on. I called Vandi on the phone to find out. I said ‘Oga, what happened?’ He said ‘wait.’,” Ebimine said.

He testified that Vandi’s response was the same when he called him some minutes later.

The witness, who earlier stated that he was armed, denied firing his weapon.

Following Odutola’s cross-examination, he hinted at his intention to visit the scene of the crime, adding that he would also like to examine the ballistics report for the weapon and ammunition allegedly used by Vandi.

Justice Harrison advised the lawyer to make a formal application and adjourned till Thursday for continuation of trial.

The late Bolanle, 41, was a property lawyer with over 10 years of call-to-bar experience was killed on Christmas Day during a stop and search duty in the Ajah area of Lagos.

Vandi attached to the Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah, Lagos, is accused of shooting Raheem while she was returning from an outing with her husband, sister and other family members.