Bolanle Raheem: Lagos Closes Case Against Alleged Killer Cop

Lagos State government has closed its case against suspended assistant superintendent of police Drambi Vandi, who allegedly killed a lawyer, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem on December 25, 2022, after the testimony of the pathologist, Dr Williams Olatunde.

Dr Olatunde, who is the 11th prosecution witness told the trial judge, Justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square that the deceased died of hemorrhagic shock and destruction of the chest visceral and musculoskeletal tissues.

The prosecution witness, who is a pathologist and forensic expert, narrated to the court how the post-mortem examination was conducted on the deceased.

He said, “on the autopsy date, after the body was wheeled into the morgue, Mr Gbenga Raheem, the husband of the deceased and an investigating police officer, assigned from the State Criminal Investigation Department were invited to identify the body before his team proceeded to take the measurements of heights, weight and forensic photographs which included the clothing of the deceased.

“The body was undressed, and we identified all internal defects and took their photographs. The sizes of these defects were measured and recorded.

“The findings from the external to internal are that there were multiple defects mainly on the anterior chest wall and one defect from the left Axillary fold.

“On internal examination, there were multiple visceral or organ injuries and musculoskeletal injuries, and the specific injuries include multiple rib fractures, multiple injuries to the intercostal spaces and injuries to both lungs,” he stated.

Olatunde also testified that, “the largest broken bullet fragment caused the defect. The relative positions of all injuries to each other determine the target path of the bullet. In this case, we decided that the target course was from left to right.

“The base of the severity of the injuries seen, the bullet was moving at maximum force, which was likely to be a discharge from a close range. A bullet could strike an object and bounce in the direction of the body.

“In simple terms, the deceased was pregnant within fewer than three months,” he said.

During cross-examination, the defence counsel, Adetokunbo Odutola asked the witness, if he could determine through his postmortem report the person who pulled the trigger that killed the deceased, he replied no that he could not determine that.

The witness, however, denied that also his post-mortem report was based on media reports, he insisted that all conclusions were reached based on findings discovered at autopsy.

Following the development, Justice Harrison told the prosecution and defence team to file and serve their written addresses within five days of each other.

She then adjourned the case to February 28 for the adoption of the written addresses.