Slain Lawyer Suffered Multiple Lung, Organ Injuries, Says Pathologist

Wale Igbintade

A pathologist and forensic expert, Dr.  Williams Oluwaseun Olatunde, yesterday told a Lagos High Court, sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) that the late Lagos-based lawyer Omobolanle Raheem killed on Christmas Day died as a result of multiple organ and lung injuries.

 Olatunde, who testified as the 11th prosecuting witness, said the injuries were caused by the largest shattered bullet fragment.

He added that the  path of the bullet was determined by the relative positions  of all injuries to each other.

Narrating the outcome of the post-mortem examination conducted on the deceas  ed, he said after the body was wheeled into the morgue, Mr. Gbenga Raheem, the husband of the deceased and an investigating police officer, assigned from the State Criminal Investigating Department were invited to identify the body before his team proceeded to take the measurements of heights, weight and forensic photographs which included the clothing of the deceased.

He added: “The body was undressed and we identified all internal defects and took their photographs. The sizes of these defects were measured and recorded. Next, we proceeded to the internal examination and various parts were identified and recorded.”

“The findings  from the external to internal is that there were multiple defects mainly on the Anterior Chest wall and one defect from the left Axillary fold.”

“On internal examination, there were multiple visceral or organ injury and musculoskeletal injury and the specific injuries includes multiple rib fracture, multiple injuries to the inter-costal spaces and injuries to both lungs.”

Dr. Williams further stated that he was able to establish three things from the examination conducted which could be the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock, destruction of the chest visceral and musculoskeletal tissues.

“The defect was caused by the largest shattered bullet fragment. The  path of the bullet is determined by the relative positions  of all injuries to each other. In this case, we determine that the targetry path was from left to right.

“The base of the severity of the injuries seen, the bullet was moving at maximum force which was likely to be a discharge from a close range. A bullet could strike an object and bounce in the direction of the body”.

“In simple terms, the deceased was pregnant within the period of less than three months,” he added.

During cross examination, Mr. Odutola asked the pathologist if he can determine through his postmortem report, the person who pulled the trigger that killed the deceased, he replied no, that he could not determine that.

Odutola also argued that the witness based his postmortem records on media reports. Dr. Williams responded that all conclusions were made based on findings discovered at autopsy.

He added that the degree of explosive force of a bullet of discharged from an AK-47, is thousands of the magnitude of a fire hose, that will penetrate into the body, either individual is standing or sitting.

Meanwhile, counsel representing Drambi Vandi, told the court that he intended to file  a no-case application in a bid to quash the criminal charge.

Adetokunbo Odutola made this known shortly after the Lagos Attorney General closed the case of the prosecution upon the discharge of his last witness. 

The trial Judge, Justice Ibironke Harrison thereafter, announced that the prosecutor had closed his case, with an order, that both counsels to file adoption for final written address within five days, thereby, adjourning to February 28, 2023.