ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The mother of late Omobolanle Raheem, the lawyer who was shot dead by Drambi Vandi, a policeman attached to the Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah, Lagos State, has revealed that the victim was pregnant with twins.
According to TheCable, the bereaved woman, spoke on Tuesday during a condolence visit to the family by the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi.
Her words: “I cannot see my ‘The Law’ again. People usually call her ‘The Law’. She was taken away from me. She was pregnant with twins.
“She died with her glory. She left a five-year-old daughter behind. And they took her away.
“On Monday, my granddaughter came to me and said ‘Grandma Iju Ishaga, I saw you yesterday when you were crying; you were shouting; is it because of my mummy?’ And I said ‘yes’.
“Then she came again and told me, ‘Pastor Jerry said what God cannot do does not exist; so, grandma, stop crying’. And she kissed me on the cheek.
“It is not easy. A child that I have been training since childhood. I suffered over her. I hawked oranges; there is nothing I did not do.”
The incident occurred when Vandi and his team tried to stop the car conveying Raheem and her family as they made a U-turn under the Ajah Bridge.
The policeman shot at the vehicle and Raheem was hit by a bullet.
She was rushed to a hospital where she was confirmed dead.
A senior security official at the Ajiwe Police Station, told Punch that Vandi claimed accidental discharge.
The source said: “He was being interrogated by the DPO and some senior police officers yesterday morning (Monday). He said he had cocked his gun to scare someone earlier and forgot to return it to safe. By the time the victim arrived at the checkpoint, he attempted to repeat the same act, but mistakenly pulled the trigger.”
The source further disclosed that the killer cop was due for promotion next year.
“Vandi is a calm officer. He is due to be promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Police by February 2023 and retire in 2024 before the unfortunate incident.
“He was also not supposed to be part of the team that went out that morning. Besides, it was a pistol that was also assigned to him and not the AK-47. We don’t know how he turned out to be in possession of the gun,” he added.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, has said two policemen detained with Vandi would be released.
He said: “The two policemen arrested with the ASP who killed the lawyer will be released today (Tuesday) after giving their testimonies to the command.
“They were arrested because they saw what happened. They were not the ones who allegedly killed the woman. They have given their stories on what happened and the CP has ordered that they should be released while investigations continue.”
Hundeyin stated that another policeman from the division who killed one Gafaru Buraimoh on 7 December would be charged upon the conclusion of investigation.
Reacting to the incident also, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), directed the Nigeria Police Force to take “the strongest possible action” against the suspect.
Buhari, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, also assured the deceased’s family and members of the Nigeria Bar Association that justice would prevail.
He noted that the incident was “a stark reminder of the recurring menace of the mishandling of weapons” and a wakeup call to law enforcement agencies, including the police, to ensure full implementation of reforms instituted by the regime.