An Inspector of Police, Matthew Ahmed, a colleague to the alleged killer corp Drambi Vandi who was said murdered a female lawyer Bolanle Raheem on 25th December 2022 has told the Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square on 16th January 2023, how the incident occurred during a stop and search. Ahmed who appeared before the presiding judge, Ibironke Harrison testified how he and two other police officers, Inspector Ebieme and Vandi were on duty the said day. “While we were at the duty post at Ajah underbridge, we were conducting stop and search,” he recounted.
“Inspector Ebieme was at the front while I stood in the middle, and SUPOL Vandi was the last man at the back.“Inspector Ebieme flagged down a car… the car did not stop, I also flagged down the car, but the car did not stop for me. “After that, the next thing I heard was a gunshot. I looked back to see what is happening, I saw a car in which the front window was falling down.
“The next thing I saw is that one black woman jumped down from the vehicle. She held SUPOL Vandi and she said ‘oga, you have killed my sister’. “The woman held him. The next thing, they entered the car and they all zoomed off.”
Earlier Vandi the suspended assistant superintendent of police pleaded not guilty to the murder of Raheem after the charge sheet was read to him.
Raheem who met with her untimely death on Christmas day was said to be returning from an outing with her family when the sad incident occurred. Raheem’s death generated widespread criticism from many persons and groups in the country, as they condemned what they described as extrajudicial killing, linking the incident to be one of such reasons for the nationwide #EndSARS protest of 2020.
Vandi was arrested and appeared before Chief Magistrate C.A. Adedayo on December 30, 2022, a day after the Police Service Commission approved his suspension.