Police Inspector: How ASP shot Lagos lawyer on Christmas Day

A police Inspector, Matthew Ameh, who was a colleague of the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Drambi Vandi, the police officer who allegedly shot dead a lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, has told the Lagos High Court how the policeman shot the deceased on Christmas Day.

ASP Vandi, on Monday, appeared before the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square on a charge of murder.

The police officer pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge preferred against him by Lagos State Government.

However, Ameh, who was led in evidence-in-chief by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Moyosore Onigbajo, SAN, told the court that on December 25, 2022, he was posted to Ajah Under Bridge with the defendant (Vandi) and another officer, Inspector Dimini.

Ameh, who said he had been working with the police since 2001, stated that he worked at the Lagos State Police Command and was attached to the Ajah Division.

The witness disclosed that the Divisional Police Officer had instructed them to go and protect lives and property, adding that their duty on December 25, at Ajah Under Bridge, was to conduct a stop-and-search operation.

He said: “We were armed while conducting our duty but we were instructed not to use our arms unless someone’s life or our lives were in danger.

“As we were at our duty post, Insp Dimini was in front, I was in the middle while Vandi was behind me.

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“There was a Toyota car with no number plate which Inspector Dimini tried to flag down but it didn’t stop. I also flagged it down, it didn’t stop. The next thing I heard was a gunshot.

“I looked back and saw the screen of the car falling down. The next thing: a dark woman jumped down from the vehicle, held the defendant, shouting oga you have killed my sister.”

The witness said the woman held the defendant, adding that the defendant entered the vehicle with the woman and they drove off.

Ameh said he went back to the police station with the other officer, adding that while they were at the station, their patrol vehicle brought the defendant.

He stated that before and during the incident, there was no form of threat to their lives.

Ameh said they were asked to write statements at the station, adding that they wrote another statement on December 26 at the state police command headquarters in Ikeja.

After his evidence-in-chief, the defendant’s counsel, Adetokunbo Oduntola, who had prayed that the case be adjourned because he was recently briefed, cross-examined the witness.

Oduntola asked the witness how long he had worked as a police officer and whether he knew the difference between ordinary noise and gunshot.

The witness told him that he had been working with the police since 2001 and could differentiate between ordinary noise and a gunshot.

He told the defence counsel that what he heard was a gunshot.

The presiding judge, Justice Ibironke Harrison, therefore, adjourned the case until January 25 for continuation of trial.

The defendant was further remanded at the Ikoyi custodial facility.

The Star