The family, friends, associates and other Nigerians would have heaved a sigh of relief at the relatively quick delivery of justice in the extrajudicial murder of Lagos lawyer Mrs Omobolanle Raheem.
Last week, a high court in Lagos sentenced police officer Drambi Vandi, who was an assistant superintendent of police (ASP) at the time the crime was committed to death by hanging for the fatal shooting of Mrs Raheem on Christmas Day, last year.
So, after only 10 months of trial, the law on October 9, 2023 found the culprit guilty as charged and condemned him to the ultimate punishment, death by hanging, after the deceased’s husband, sister, police armourer, pathologist, and seven others all testified against him.
Mrs Raheem’s death left most Nigerians Petrified, sad and worried about the cheapness of life in the hands of some elements in the police force.
On December 25, 2022, policemen from the Ajiwe police station at Ajah, Lagos, had flagged down the car conveying Raheem and her family as they returned from Christmas service. And as they made to park, one of the policemen, who was later identified as Drambi Vandi, shot at the car and killed the lawyer. The police officers fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
Raheem’s murder rekindled the outrage against police tactics that was last seen during the ENDSARS protests across Nigeria when youths took to the streets to demand an end to atrocities committed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which was set up to combat armed robbery and violent crimes but which went overboard, with its personnel accused of extrajudicial murder, torture, extortion and all manner of sharp practices.
Raheem’s murder received local and international condemnation including from Amnesty International, especially as she was heavily pregnant at the time.
A coalition of over 223 women organisations under the aegis of Womanifesto, and the Lagos State and national bodies of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) all embarked on street protests and called for speedy prosecution of the case against the trigger-happy ASP Vandi.
Raheem’s shooting came at the backdrop of growing incidents of police killings in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria. According to reports, barely three weeks before the Raheem incident, one Gafaru Buraimoh, 31, died from police bullets fired by officers from the same Ajiwe station in Ajah, Lagos. That showed that Raheem’s shooting was not a one-off incident.
Media report on extrajudicial killings, indicate that as many as 91 other Nigerians were killed by police officers in the past year. That is a very disturbing statistic considering the fact that the police force is empowered by the country’s laws to do the opposite: protect life and property. It is incidents like this that make it difficult for the populace to believe the police when it mouths its popular mantra: “police is your friend.”
The truth, in our opinion, is that most Nigerians have had sad personal experiences with the police and would rather touch the security agency with a long pole. This kind of attitude has grave implications for police work, because operatives depend on good relationship with the civil populace to garner the intelligence necessary in solving crimes.
As a newspaper, we commend the quick prosecution of ASP Vandi; it goes a long way to reassure the public that the police force does not condone such elements and would not shield them from facing the consequences of their nefarious actions. But the Force must go beyond that: It must take proactive actions to prevent or limit the occurrence of such incidents, through training and retraining of its field personnel and systematically identifying and weeding out murderous elements within its ranks.
With legal practitioners pursuing the case of one of their own, it is no wonder that the Raheem matter was adjudicated so quickly so as to provide closure to the loved ones of the deceased. But it is not always so for other Nigerians looking for justice from the Nigerian judiciary. Often, cases suffer undue delay due to incompetence, lack of diligent prosecution or compromise.
A case in point also happened in Lagos. Last week, a Lagos State High Court similarly convicted two pipeline vandals to death for murdering seven operatives of the Department State Services (DSS) on a kidnapping rescue mission in 2015. Seven of the nine agents dispatched on the mission were ambushed and taken hostage by vandals at Abule Oba, Lagos, and later killed in cold blood, while two escaped.
The judge, Hakeem Oshodi, convicted Clement Ododomu and Tiwei Monday after finding them guilty of a 10-count charge of murder and possession of firearms, among others.
In the meantime, we are relieved that the trial has been concluded and the murderers handed their just desserts. However, unlike the Raheem case that was resolved in 10 months, the effort to get justice for the families, friends and associates of the seven slain DSS operatives took eight long years.
We also urge the police and the judiciary to apply the same commitment towards ensuring justice for Gafaru Buraimo and the 90 other ordinary Nigerians reportedly illegally killed by the police in the past one year. Their families also deserve to have closure that comes from feeling that justice has been done.
