By Gift Andrew
Gbenga Raheem husband to Lagos based lawyer Bolanle Raheem wey police officer allegedly shoot and kill on Christmas Day 2022 don tell court how di incident happun plus wetin im do to save im wife life.
Dis na di first time di public go hear di tori from di mouth of Gbenga as e no gree open up to tori pipo since di mata happun.
Di Lagos High Court TBS dey try police officer Drambi Vandi say e murder di mother of one on Christmas Day 2022 for di Ajah axis of Lagos.
Dem don bury di victim last week for di Lekki axis of di state.
Wen di case come up in court on Thursday, Gbenga na one of di witnesses wey come testify for court. Di oda pesin na Titilayo, wey be sister to di victim.
‘I give my wife Christmas Gifts di day she die’
Di victim husband Gbenga narrate how im family wake up dat Christmas morning, say im present gifts to im wife and kids wey dey di house.
E say dem go church dat day and later go hang out, imsef, im wife, im sister inlaw and di kids wey include di sister in-law kids.
E say dem eat pizza and ice cream togeda for Domino Pizza, say na wen dem dey go back house through di Ajah bridge di incident happun.
E say “wen I do U-turn for under di Ajah bridge, I see police officers for front, I no know how many dem dey. I dey follow car wey dey in front of me, wen e slow down, I follow im left side overtake am, one officer for my left side say make I park. wen I dey try to park di car I hear loud sound for my wife side of di window, e smash di window and I see blood for her chest. I park fast and run out of di car”.
According to am, di wife sister Titi wey bin dey sit for di victim back wit di kids run out of di car and rush di police officer, hold am. E say di police officer also threaten to shoot her too.
“I dey devastated afta I see blood for my wife chest, my life crumble” na so e tell di court.
During cross examination, di witness identify di defendant as pesin wey shoot im wife.
E explain say afta dem rush di police officer, Titi drag am enta di car and make am sidon for same seat wit di victim for front seat.
E say “At dat time, my wife still dey conscious, I speed off to di hospital, I forget Titi for dia”
‘Hospitals reject her’
Mr Gbenga tell court say wen dem reach Epodo hospital, im carry im wife in and dey shout ‘help help emergency dem don shoot my wife’.
“One of di doctors come out and tell me say e no fit handle di matA dia, e say make we carry her go di next hospital wey be Doren Hospital”.
E say wen dem carri am go Doren hospital, di doctor ask wetin happun and e explain to am. E say im beg di doctor to save im wife life.
“Dem bring oxygen and put for her nose and put cotton wool for her chest sake of di blood. She try to pray but di doctor say make she no talk. Later she say she no fit breath again. Afta a while di doctor tell us to send am to another hospital, Grandville Hospital for VGC. I carri my phone show dem my account balance, tell dem say money no be di problem, make dem save my wife first”. Na so di victim husband tok.
According to am, dem say dem go need to carri her for ambulance, but later tok say di ambulance driver no dey. E say im offer to drive di ambulance but dem say di driver carri di key comot.
Im no get any oda option but to use im car carri her as im don notice say im wife don dey dey weak. Say dem begin dey press her chest.
According to am, e try to make di doctor or nurse follow dem along as dem wan go di third hospital but dem no gree.
Police van later come di hospital, im and di police van follow carri im wife go to di next hospital. E say e no too sabi di area, afta dem don waka miss road and later arrive Grandville hospital. E say im run out of di car and begin shout emergency.
Gbenga tell court say “One lady doctor come to attend to her, I tink say dem go rush her in, rather dem begin check her pulse, na dia dem find out say she don pass on. I dey shattered, I no fit tok again, police carri her put for dia van. I look at her lifeless body for back of dia van and say my wife don go“.
Afta im recover and later go home to check on di kids. E later go police station to go write state statement. E tok.
During cross examination, dem ask am weda im or im sister in-law threaten di police officers wen di incident happun, e say no, say all di car windows dey up and dem no do any conversation.
Di lawyers ask am weda wen dem reach di location, any form of unrest dey happun arround dia, e say no, say everytin dey normal wen dem reach dia.
Di defense lawyer ask am weda e see any officer pull di trigger or shoot at your wife? Did you see di defendant pull di trigger at your wife?
E reply say why im no see be say I bin focus on di oda officer wey tell am to park. “At least I see am raise im gun at my sister in-law as we come down from di car”.
Di defense lawyer say “I put it to you say di bullet fit don come from someone else around not from am”.
Mr Gbenga reply say “with all due respect, please make you dey sensitive to di mata as na my wife die so”.
Afta di victim husband answer questions finish and come down from di witness box, her younger sister Titilayo Emenam enter witness box to give testimony.
She confam to di court say na di defendant kill her sister and also point di gun at her. She say she summon courage grab di officer and drag am to di car make e see wetin e don do.
“At first I tink say e use di gun hit di window, but I come hear my sister say Gbenga di bullet don enta my chest’ she tok am twice, and next her neck drop,” na so she tok.
She say wen she approach di police officer, di officer threaten to shoot her too, but say boys wey dey around wey see wetin happun help give her courage.
Afta her testimony, di judge Justice Sonaike adjourn di case to 1st and 2nd February for continuation.
