The suspended police officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Drambi Vandi, has been found guilty of the Christmas day killing of Lagos property lawyer Omobolanle Raheem.
He has now been sentenced to death by hanging for the crime.
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Justice Ibironke Harrison, sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square annexe division of the Lagos State High Court, said his defence that he didn’t shoot the deceased has no leg to stand on.
He was found guilty on the strength of the prosecution’s witnesses, who gave ‘overwhelming evidence’ that the loud gunshot was from his loaded gun.
Mr Vandi was arraigned on January 16, 2023, on a count of murder, but he pleaded not guilty.
The court granted an accelerated hearing on the case.
The Lagos State Government alleged that the defendant, an Assistant Superintendent of Police who has now been suspended from the Force, shot Mrs Raheem in the chest on December 25, 2022, at the Ajah Roundabout on the Lekki Motorway in Lagos State.
The crime contravenes Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The prosecution team, led by a former attorney general and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), called 11 witnesses, including eight police officers.
The prosecution closed its case on Feb. 25.
On Feb. 28, the defendant, through his counsel, Gbenro Gbadamosi, applied, praying for the court to quash the charge against him.
On April 3, the court, however, dismissed the no-case submission.
Justice Harrison held that the prosecution established sufficient oral and documentary evidence linking the defendant to the alleged crime, which required an explanation from him.
On May 31, the defendant gave evidence as the only witness for the defence and closed his case.
The judgement date was set for July 13 after counsel adopted the case’s final written addresses.