EMOTIONS ran high at the family house of the slain Lagos lawyer, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, at Lekki
Gardens, Lagos, with the mother of the deceased lamenting how much she suffered to train her daugh- ter to be a lawyer only to lose her in such circum- stance.
Speaking when the Com- missioner of Police in the state, Abiodun Alabi, vis- ited, the mother recounted how she hawked oranges for her Bolanler to be edu- cated.
Mrs Sherifat Salami ex- pressed shock that her daughter “disappeared just like that.”
According to Premium Times, the mother, who spoke in Yoruba, said: “I suffered in lack and hawked for my daughter to become a law graduate. I hawked oranges to ensure she had a good education and today, I can’t find her again.
“She was not ill; she had no pain; she suffered no sickness; she just dis- appeared like that. My daughter disappeared on Christmas Day, a day that everybody was happy.”
Turning towards the po- lice commissioner, she ad- ded: “Commissioner, it is not easy [to bear].”
On his part, younger brother of the deceased, Mr Raheem Ishola, said his sister was pregnant with twins at the time of her death.
He said: “She was pregnant with twins; she was the first- born of the family.
“It is a very sad moment for us. She was my sister. I’m the last child of the family and she was the first.”
Meanwhile, the state po- lice boss has assured the family that justice would be served.
He informed the family that investigations had already commenced and that the cul- prit would face the law.
The CP, who was accom- panied by some senior police officers from the command condemned in strong term the action of the policeman who pulled the trigger.
Meanwhile, the state po- lice command says two po- lice officers arrested with ASP Dambri Vandi over the killing of Mrs Omobolale Raheem would be released later on Tuesday as they were not in- volved in the crime.
The command’s spokesper- son, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday while giving an up- date on the development.
The police, on Christmas Day, arrested ASP Dambri Vandi and two other officers attached to Ajiwe police sta- tion in Ajah area for killing Mrs Raheem, a lawyer, same day.
Hundeyin said they were taken into protective cus- tody immediately and were later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thor- ough investigation.
He said the two police of- ficers arrested with the ASP were detained for interrog- ation and testimonies.
“The two policemen ar- rested with the ASP who killed the lawyer will be re- leased today [Tuesday] after giving their testimonies to the command.
“They were arrested
because they saw what happened. They were not the ones who killed the wo- man.
“They have given their stories on what happened and the CP has ordered that they should be released while investigations con- tinue,” he said.
On the update about sim- ilar killing of one Gafaru Buraimoh on December 7 by a police officer from the same Ajiwe police station, Hundeyin said the officer was still in detention and yet to be charged to court.
He said the police officer was yet to be arraigned be- cause his dismissal order had not been released.
“There are indeed con- sequences. The officer is still in detention at the SCID. His investigation is being wrapped up.
“Once his dismissal or- der comes out, he will be charged to court immedi- ately,” he said.
Hundeyin said there was nothing wrong with the spot or area where the killings took place, but the officers who killed would be held re- sponsible for their actions.
He noted that when the first incident occurred on December 7, the Commis- sioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, changed the divisional police officer (DPO) of the station.
“This has become one too many, especially, bearing in mind that a similar incident occurred at the same location less than three weeks ago.
“The condemnable incid- ent is against the standard operating procedure (SOP) and rules of engagement of the Force, and to say the least, is embarrassing.
“Beyond this incident, the Nigeria Police Force will carry out a reappraisal of its rules of engagement to put an end to such avoidable ugly incid- ents,” Hundeyin said.
The police spokesman ap- pealed to residents of the state to remain calm, just as he added that the command was already in touch with the Nigerian Bar Association and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that justice totally prevailed.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned as “heinous and senseless” the killing of Ra- heem.
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, on Monday said the Pres- ident was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the brutal killing and direc- ted the police authorities to take “the strongest possible action” against the culprits already held in detention.
President Buhari said this incident is a stark reminder of the recurring menace of the mishandling of weapons and a wakeup call to law enforce- ment agencies, including the police, to ensure the full im- plementation of reforms in- stituted by the administration on the subject of weapons handling as well as the protec- tion of the rights of citizens.
“In this hour of grief, the nation stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and the NBA.
“I assure that justice will be done in this case,” the state- ment quoted the President as saying.
