BOLANLE RAHEEM: HOW I DISARMED KILLER ASP - POLICE WITNESS NARRATES

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

At the resumed hearing of the alleged murder case against an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, who was reported to have shot a Lagos-based lawyer on Christmas day around the Ajah Underbridge in Lagos, the Prosecuting team called out a fifth witness at the High Court of Lagos, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), annex.

The witness Olorunshola Olusegun, who is an Assistant Superintendent of Police, narrated how he disarmed Drambi Vandi, on that day after the incident.

The state government preferred a one-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 against the defendant and arraigned him for the lawyer’s death.

While giving his testimony before Justice Ibironke Harrison, the police witness stated that, the DPO ordered him to disarm the officer, which he did in the charge-room, before handing over the rifle to the inspector Adamu, the armourer of the division before leaving.

He also mentioned that, while he was at the Ajah police station few minutes after he had returned from a patrol, a biker came to inform him that an ASP from the division had shot a pregnant woman, adding that the officer was presently at a hospital where some people are trying to disarm him.

He said, “After leaving for patrol that day, about two hours later, I came back to the station. While I was at the station, somebody rode down on a bike, he met me where he met me sitting down. The man on bike reported that one of our ASP Drambi Vandi, has shot a pregnant woman and has tried to be disarmed by some men at the hospital.”

“After the rider passed the information, I went straight to inform the DPO who called the Anti-crime patrol team 99, before going with the patrol team to the hospital.

About 20-30mins later, the DPO came back with the ASP standing there. He was wearing a native shirt on his uniform trouser and he was dangling his rifle on his left shoulder. He was led by the DPO and two other armed policemen.”

The DPO instructed that he should be disarmed and detained. He handed his rifle over to me, there in the charge room because I am next in command to the DPO. After handing over, the armourer whose office was right in front of the charge room asked me to give him the rifle.”

During Cross-Examination, Mr. Odutola, the defence counsel, asked if the witness was there when the armorer counted the bullets in the riffle.

The officer responded that he left after he handed the riffle over, he left and wasn’t there when the bullets were counted.

The counsel asked again if the officer was the one that disarmed his client.

Olorunshola reaffirmed by saying, “I disarmed him by myself in the Charge-room at Ajah Police station. I handed over the riffle and left. Nobody forced him, he was ordered”.

The counsel went further to ask, “As a Senior police officer (ASP), what is the procedure when you disarm officers. Do you just disarm or the bullets are counted before you leave?

The officer answered, “As a standard procedure, if you have been accused of any offence relating to bullets, the first thing you do when you are disarmed is that, the armorer counts the bullets in your presence because, it is the armorer that gave the ammunition.”

He asked again, “And in the case where it is not the armorer who disarmed what is the procedure?

“The armorer must be there when you are disarming somebody.” He replied.

Meanwhile the Lagos State Attorney General and Lead prosecuting counsel, Moyosore Onigbanjo, told the court that they have presented the ballistics report, containing evidence relating to firearms involved in the death of Bolanle Raheem, to the defence counsel, Adetokunbo Odutola.

Justice Harrison thereafter, adjourned the case till 2nd February, 2022 for further hearing.