L-R: ASP Drambi Vandi, who allegedly shot Lagos-based lawyer Bolanle Raheem, in the Lekki area of the state, South-West Nigeria … Christmas Day 2022.
The Lagos State Government has closed its case in the murder trial of the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Drambi Vandi, who allegedly shot Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs. Bolanle Raheem, Christmas Day 2022 in the Lekki area of the state, South-West Nigeria.
The prosecution closed its case after calling the eleventh witness, a pathologist, Dr. Oluwaseun Williams.
Led in his testimony by the Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the witness told Justice Ibironke Harrison that after inviting the deceased’s husband, Gbenga, and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) to identify the corpse, his team proceeded with an internal examination where various injuries were identified and recorded.
The injuries, according to the pathologist, were external to internal, resulting in multiple defects, mainly on the anterior chest and on the left auxiliary fold.
“On internal examination, there were multiple visceral injuries, specific ones, which include multi rib fractures, multiple injury to the intercoastal spaces, and injury to both lungs,” he said.
The pathologist further said: “The examination conducted on the deceased, established three factors as the cause of Bolanle Raheem’s death, which are haemorrhagic shock, destruction of the chest visceral and musculoskeletal tissue.”
The pathologist had also said that the postmortem report confirmed the deceased was pregnant,
He added that the gun shot was at a close range.
Under cross examination, the defence counsel, Mr. Adetokunbo Odutola, asked the witness if could determine through his postmortem report, the person who pulled the trigger that killed the deceased.
The witness had said: “No”.
Odutola further contended that the expert witness based his postmortem records on media reports.
However, the pathologist responded that all conclusions had been made based on findings discovered at the autopsy.
Dr. Williams explained that the degree of explosive force of a bullet discharged from an AK-47 rifle, is thousands times the magnitude of a fire hose; a force that will penetrate into the body, whether the individual is standing or sitting.
After his testimony, the court discharged the witness and the prosecution closed its case.
The defence counsel, then requested for leave to file a ‘no case submission’ seeking to quash the charge against the defendant.
Following his submission, Justice Harrison ordered both counsels to file their motions and written addresses and adjourned to February 28, 2023, for the adoption of the court processes.
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