CURRENT REPORT BLOG in a landmark verdict, a suspended Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), known as Vandi, has been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem. This shocking incident unfolded at the Ajah underbridge checkpoint on December 25, 2022, sending shockwaves throughout Nigeria.
The Lagos State High Court, situated at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex, Igbosere, Lagos Island, delivered the verdict that has been widely anticipated. Justice Ibironke Harrison, presiding over the case, unequivocally declared Vandi guilty on one count of murder, stating, “You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead.”
On that fateful day, Vandi, a police officer attached to the Ajiwe police division in the Ajah area of Lagos, shot the 41-year-old pregnant lawyer, Mrs. Raheem, at the Ajah underbridge checkpoint. This horrific act elicited widespread condemnation from Nigerians, leading to Vandi’s suspension just two days after the incident.
The Lagos State Government wasted no time in arraigning Vandi for this heinous crime. The charge against him was one count of murder, in violation of Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The court trial commenced in January, during which several key witnesses, including the deceased’s husband, sister, police armourer, pathologist, and seven others, testified against the defendant.
The prosecution bolstered its case with a compelling presentation of 27 exhibits. In a turn of events, Vandi chose to testify in his own defense. He adamantly maintained that the bullet, a critical piece of evidence, which was purported to have ended Mrs. Raheem’s life, did not originate from the rifle he carried on the day of the incident.
