Court pronounces death by hanging on police officer for killing lawyer

“You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead”

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The reckless shooting and killing of a Lagos lawyer Bolanle Raheem, by a police officer on Christmas day may have been avenged as Justice Ibironke Harrison of Lagos High Court has sentenced the officer, Darambi Vandi, to death by hanging.

Harrison on Monday found the police officer guilty of murder.

Therefore pronounced, “The court found the defendant guilty on one count of murder. You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead,”

The police officer attached to the Ajiwe police division in the Ajah area of the state had shot Raheem an expectant mother in the chest on Dec. 25, 2022, at Ajah Roundabout, on Lekki- Expressway, Lagos State.

Vandi however got suspended two days after the incident.

The state government had preferred a one count of murder of the lawyer against the defendant and subsequently arraigned him.

Since the court trial started in January, the prosecution team led by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, called 11 witnesses, including the deceased’s husband, sister, police armourer, pathologist and seven others who have testified against the defendant.

The prosecution tendered 27 exhibits.

Mr Vandi was the only witness who testified in his own defence.

In his testimony before the court, Mr Vandi told the judge that the bullet presented in court, which was said to have killed the deceased, did not come from the rifle he carried on the day of the incident.

He also claimed that he had never seen the bullet until it was tendered in court.