Sanwo-Olu’s delegation visits Bolanle Raheem’s family

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sent a delegation to console the family of Bolanle Raheem, the female lawyer shot and killed by a polcieman on Christmas day.

The gesture was to reinforce his stand on justice for the deceased killed under the bridge at Ajah, Lagos.

Members of the delegation include Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Moyo Onigbanjo, SAN; Head of Service Muri Okunola, who signed the condolence register on behalf of the government; Women and Poverty Alleviation Commissioner, Mrs Bolaji Dada; Special Assistant to the Governor, Tubosun Alake, and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso.

“We have the permission of Mr Governor to tell you that justice will be done in this matter. The matter will be charged to court as soon as the police send us the case file. I will be leading the prosecution to show the seriousness the government attaches to this matter,” Onigbanjo said.

Also speaking, Alake said the Governor urged the family to take heart just as he prayed that the Almighty would console the family.

The husband of the late Bolanle, Mr Gbenga Raheem, thanked Mr Sanwo-Olu for his empathy.

NBA reveals identity of errant policeman

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has said the name of the policeman that killed Raheem os Drambi Vandi.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the association, Akorede Lawal, on Monday.

Giving details of the NBA’s reaction to the news, Lawal said, “The NBA President, Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN upon receiving the sad news made efforts to get across to the husband of our deceased member who understandably has been unavailable to answer calls. The NBA President has however spoken to the brother-in-law of our deceased member and extended the condolence of the NBA to the family of late Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem and assured the family of the support of the NBA in this difficult time.

“Since this terrible incident, the NBA has taken the initiative to uncover the facts surrounding the murder of our member. The NBA President has engaged the police authorities including the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 (Mr. Bode Adeyinka Adeleke) as well as the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State (Mr. Abiodun Alabi). In this regard, the NBA is able to report that the Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that the suspected murderer of our member is one ASP Drambi Vandi, an officer, who has been in the police service for 33 years!

“While the NBA acknowledges the sympathy and regret of the police authorities over this incident, the NBA President has unequivocally demanded that the Nigerian Police officially disclose and immediately release to Nigerians the fuller details of the errant officer and other officers responsible for this heinous act.

“The NBA President has informed the police of the resolve of the NBA to be a complainant in this case along with the family of late Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem. The NBA President has in this regard constituted a team comprising of National Officers, Chairman and Vice Chairperson of NBA Lagos Branch and Chairman of NBA Ikeja Branch with a mandate to follow up and ensure a speedy but thorough investigation of this crime. The NBA team was at Ajiwe Police Station earlier this morning and the team also had a scheduled meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters this afternoon.

“In the course of NBA’s engagement with police authorities over this deadly incident, the NBA confirmed that on or about 7th December 2022 another young man described as Gafaru Buraimoh who was innocently on his way to buy fuel was murdered in Ajah in a similar manner as our member by a police officer attached to the now notorious Ajiwe Police Station. The NBA is disturbed that the Nigerian Police seems to be back to the dark days of police brutality and admonish that the lessons from the #EndSARS Protest should not be lost on any individual or authority.