The trial of Darambi Vandi, the accused murderer of Lawyer Bolanle Raheem who was shot and killed on Christmas Day, continued on February 2, with the sixth prosecution witness, Insp. Sunday Akagu, taking the stand.
Vandi, who is facing a charge of murder, has pleaded not guilty to the allegations made against him by the Lagos State government. The Prosecution, led by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyo Onigbanjo, claims that the crime violated Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
As the trial took place in front of Judge Justice Ibironke Harrison in a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, Akagu testified that Vandi had asked him for a bullet. The witness, who has been with the police force for 20 years and was stationed at the Ajah police station, explained that he had learned of the incident through official channels. Akagu also stated that he was one of the officers who took Vandi back to the police station after visiting the hospital where the victim had been taken.
According to Akagu, Vandi asked for a bullet on the way back to the station, but he refused. The witness told the court that he was angry and informed his colleagues about the request. The witness was cross-examined by Vandi’s lawyer, Mr. Adetokunbo Odutola, and couldn’t provide details about the exact time or place where Vandi was disarmed, as he wasn’t present during the event.
The seventh witness, Insp. Olagunju Olatunji, the Investigating Police Officer, took the stand after Akagu. Olatunji explained that he was on duty at the station at 1:00 p.m. when a woman, Enema Titilayo, reported a case of shooting and conspiracy. He was part of the team that drove to the various hospitals where the victim was taken before she eventually passed away. The IPO said that he saw Vandi hiding under a staircase at the hospital while conducting his investigation. Olatunji took statements from both the defendant and the complainant, and the case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
The IPO testified that he found out that Vandi had fired his gun, but his ammunition was not complete. During cross-examination by Vandi’s lawyer, the witness recounted out three instances that led him to believe that Vandi was the person who shot the victim, one of which was that only Vandi’s gun was found to be short on bullets among the three officers on patrol. The judge adjourned the case until February 8 after hearing the evidence from the witnesses.
Comments are closed.