The House of Representatives has demanded justice for a Lagos-based female lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem, who was shot and killed by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, an officer attached to the Ajah Divisional Headquarters of the Lagos State Police Command.
At the plenary on Wednesday, members of the House observed one-minute silence in honour Raheem, and Gafaru Braimoh who was the second person to have been killed by policemen in the same area within one month.
The lawmakers demanded, “an immediate investigation be carried out to get justice for these two victims,” while they resolved that “police officers should be banned from consuming alcohol and other hard substances that are capable of inhibiting their sense of reasoning and capability to carry out their duties judiciously.”
The House also declared that there should be a zero-tolerance policy to misconduct or misbehaviour in the Nigeria Police.
These resolutions were based on a motion of urgent public importance moved by the lawmaker representing Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in Lagos State, Babajide Obanikoro, titled ‘Urgent Need to Investigate the Killing of Mrs Bolanle Raheem,’ which the lawmakers unanimously adopted.
Moving the motion, Obanikoro said, “The House notes that on Sunday, December 25, 2022, Mrs Raheem and her family were returning from church when they were pulled over in the Ajah area by officers of the Nigeria Police. Without any altercation, one of the officers, ASP Dambri Vandi, aimed and fired at Mrs Raheem on the spot. She was seven months pregnant with twins.
“The House is concerned that the same incident happened earlier in the month, on December 7, by officers of the same Ajiwe Police Station, who gunned down a young man by the name Gafaru Braimoh, and which sparked a bit of civic unrest.
“The House is worried that this type of occurrence happens often across Nigeria and the officers usually get away with the shooting and killing of the same innocent citizens they swore to protect.”
