A suspended Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, who was charged with shooting to death a Lagos-based lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem, last Christmas day, has been sentenced to death by hanging.
Justice ibironke Harrison sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex division of the Lagos state High Court said his defence that he didn’t shoot the deceased has no leg to stand on, and that he alone had the opportunity to shoot the deceased which resulted in her death.
Drambi vandi was found guilty on the strength of the witnesses of the prosecution, who gave ‘overwhelming circumstantial evidence” against him.
In denying the one count charge, the defendant who was the only witness told the court that the loud gunshot heard by the eyewitnesses was that of a fire cracker.
But the court held that a Banger cannot kill and that He didn’t give any other explanation or provide contrary expert evidence.
The prosecution presented 11 witnesses including family members of the deceased and team members of the defendant who witnessed the incident that day.
The pathologist said Mrs raheem was fired at close range, and the armourer also testified for the state that two bullets were missing from his weapon afterwards.
The ballistician’s report was found to be inconclusive because the defendant’s gun upon examination had some defects as the bullet fragments retrieved from the vehicle couldn’t be matched with the gun.
But the court said the faults will not result in the gun firing itself and that it was the only weapon fired that day.
The court found it strange that the defendant who was the police team lead at the checkpoint was the only person at the scene that didn’t hear the loud gunshot heard by the other eyewitnesses.
The judge accepted the evidence of the deceased’s sister who had gone on to hold on to the defendant’s shirt after the shooting, as well as bystanders who pointed at him as the shooter.
The defendant also didn’t provide cogent evidence to dispel the fact that he was seen to have fled into a mini bus, where he was dragged out from and taken to the hospital Mrs Raheem was rushed to.
Even there he changed into a mufti and hid under a staircase.
“The deceased was shot at close range and hit through the back windshield.
He (the defendant) was the only armed person to shoot from the right side as the other officer on the left wasn’t armed
None of the eye witnesses saw him actually shoot, but
that will have been near impossible.
The best a witness can do is to see him point the gun and to hear a gun shot.
The ballistician’s report was inconclusive because the defendant’s gun had some defects as the bullet fragments retrieved from the vehicle couldn’t be matched with the gun. But, from the autopsy report, she was shot at close range.
The court finds the defendant guilty on one count of murder. You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead.”
Despite the guilty verdict, Defence counsel, Adetokunbo Odutola says the defendant will consider an appeal.
