Slain Lagos Lawyer: Defendant Closes Defence

Published

12 months ago

June 1, 2023

Editor

A police officer, Drambi Vandi, who allegedly shot and killed a Lagos-based lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day, closed his defence before a Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square on Wednesday.

Vandi is standing trial on a count charge of shooting and killing a Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs Raheem, on Dec. 25, 2022, in the Ajah area of Lagos.

At the resumed hearing, the defendant’s counsel, Mr Jude Ugwu, led him in evidence.

Vandi told the court that he had never come across the bullet that was shown in court as the alleged murder weapon.

He said that the bullet was not the same ammunition in his rifle on the day of the incident.

Vandi narrated how he attended a local training school where he learned about arms and ammunition.

He said that the police are always given training every five months on rifles to refresh their memories.

The defendant said it was in the training school that he learnt about the different types of rifles, pistols and ammunition.

The defendant counsel, however, requested the court to produce exhibit P11(a), the bullet and magazine containing six bullets which is exhibit P19.

The witness, therefore, told the court that a portion of P19 was a shell of an assorted rifle used in an AK-47 rifle, noting that the exhibit was used in a long-range bullet.

He explained that the bullet shown in court could cover over 500 metres.

“If you line up ten people, this particular bullet will go through all of them.

“When it is shot at a close range, it can’t remain inside the person’s body and any object at close range, it must penetrate through it.

“It must pass through at least four objects. This is not the ammunition in my rifle on Dec. 25, 2022.

“The rifle is automatic. To use this bullet, you must cork the rifle and anyone around that area will hear the noise of the cork,” the defendant said.

He said that immediately the rifle was fired, the shell would fall right on the ground near the person that fired it and would remain at that point.

Vandi claimed that he had never seen the bullet until it was tendered in court.

The witness also said that the exhibit was not the type of ammunition used by the police.

When cross-examined by the Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Babajide Martins, the witness said that on Dec. 25, 2022, he was on duty at Ajah underbridge.

The witness said that he was on duty with a rifle which had 25 rounds of ammunition.

He explained that he had signed and booked the rifle from the armourer.

He also told the court that he was not the only officer that was armed on that particular day.

Vandi also narrated how he was arrested, detained and how he wrote his statement after the incident.

“I wish the deceased is alive and I regret her death. May her soul rest in peace,” he concluded.

The defendant counsel had earlier announced to the court that the defendant was their only witness.

He, however, prayed the court to give them 21 days to file and adopt their written addresses.

After listening to evidence, Justice Ibironke Harrison directed the parties to exchange their written addresses.

Harrison, however, adjourned the case until July 13 for adoption of final written addresses.

Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Published

6 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The protesting women of Okoloba community

Protesters who are majorly women from Okoloba community, Delta State, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, took to the street to protest what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

INFO DAILY reports that Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area and Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, all in Delta State have been at loggerhead over land dispute and others.

The protesting Okoloba women in black attire staged the peaceful protest along the coastal fringe of Koloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba Community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, alleged that the armed youths of Okuama were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

Some of the protesting Women

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say no to violence’; ‘enough of the killings on our land;’ ‘armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style;’ ‘we say no to the return of armed youths of Okuama;’ ‘resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA;’ ‘we mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers,’ among others.’

Reading a letter to newsmen, a copy of each she said was submitted to the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi Local local Government Council, Mrs Goodwin noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

The letter which contained an S.O.S. to the Federal Government, further reads: “First, we the women of Okoloba Community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

The protesting women

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbaths.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama Community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.

“Resettling them among their own people in Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect”.

Metro

JUST IN: Truck Rams Into BRT On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

10 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A truck has rammed into a Lagos State BRT bus at Ibafo bus-stop along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

The PUNCH correspondent who went to the scene gathered that the accident occurred around some minutes to 6am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Police on response call at the accident scene insisted that only their Public Relations Officers were authorised to speak.

However, unconfirmed reports from onlookers noted that several people on the BRT bus were injured.

Onlookers accounts noted that the BRT was parked loading its passengers at the bus stop before the truck loaded with cows heading to Lagos rammed into it, taking it off the road to destroy shops and kiosks by the roadside.

The cow truck had been towed a little away from the scene so as not to hinder traffic.

Details later

Metro

Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

Published

19 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”