Di alleged murder trial of police officer Vandi Drambi continue for Lagos High Court TBS on Thursday as di Investigating Police Officer IPO come give evidence.
Lagos state state goment sama one count charge of murder on Vandi say e allegedly shoot and kill one lawyer, Bolanle Raheem on Christmas Day 2022.
Di IPO Inspector Adeyemo Olubunmi wey say e don serve di Nigerian police for 21 years say na him and im team from di State Criminal Investigation Department SCID investigate di case.
According to am, dia investigation reveal say di defendant Vandi Drambi dey culpable for di death of di Lagos lawyer.
Di state Attorney General of di state Oga Moyosore Onigbanjo lead am as e give evidence of wetin happun wen im office receive di case.
Husband of di deceased Gbenga, Titi wey be sister to Bolanle and at least three police officers don come give evidence for court since di case start for January.
‘We find bullet shell for back of her car’
Inspector Adeyemo tell court say im office receive case of alleged murder on 26 December, 2022 wen dem transfer di case from Ajah police station.
E say “I record di statement of both di defendant and di witness. Di defendant write by imsef and deny di allegation”.
E add say dem carri di defendant gun go for post mortem examination and also recover di vehicle in question for ballistic inspection.
According to di officer, dem also visit si scene of crime beside Ajah bridge and go see di deceased bodi for Mainland Mortuary Yaba.
E say after di post mortem, dem collect result of di post mortem, add say im team leader Bamidele Olusegun dey present during di postmortem.
E tell di court say dem take di defendant Vandi Brandi to neuro-phychiatric hospital for examination.
E add say “during di searching of di vehicle, we recover one empty shell for di back sit. We send di two riffles for ballistic examination, one for di defendant and one for di oda officer. Na di armorer for Ajah police station transfer di riffles to us for ballistic examination” na so e tell di court.
E tell di court say di ballistician issue a report after di examination. Di prosecution counsel ask am to identify di shell and di ballistic report and e confam am after dem show am to am. Di court admit di ballistic report and bullet shell as exhibit 11 and 11a.
As e continue im testimony, e tell court say dem get di suspended ammunition (bullet) wey dem recover from di bodi of di deceased and di video. Di prosecution counsel present di bullet and di post mortem report to di court after di witness confirm di bullet and di report.
Di prosecution team den present copy of di arms register to di court. Dem also present pictures wey police take for Ajah police station and di one for SCID.
Di witness present di court guns wey dia officers use on di incident date.
Di court burst into laughter wen di witness try to insert di magazine into di gun and di judge shout ‘noooo don’t put it’ for fear of accidental discharge.
Di court admit di guns as exhibit but release am back to di police for use, say anytime dem need am, police go bring am back.
Di court play video from di postmortem section of di deceased. Di video show di naked body of Bolanle Raheem, e show wia di bullet allegedly tear off a part of her skin near di breast and chest.
Di video also show body parts of di deceased wey dem dissect to show wia and wia bullet allegedly hit, including di bones. E show di bullet fragments wey dem comot from di body.
Wen di prosecution counsel ask am wetin be dia conclusion after dia investigation, di witness say dem find out say di defendant dey responsible for di death of Omobolanle Raheem.
During cross examination, di defense counsel Adetokunbo Odutola ask di witness say wit di number wey dey di armorer register and di number wey dey di gun dem bring come court, weda na true say dat gun be wetin di defendant use on di incident date.
Di witness answer yes, e add say “during di endSARS protest, dem born all di arms and armunition wey dey di Ajah police station, na later dem pick different parts use couple up, ba wetin make di numbers differ”.
E also explain say some guns get different numbers. E carri di gun up and demonstrate how different numbers dey on di gun body.
Di defense counsel ask “how come you conclude say di defendant dey culpable for di murder case wen you no be ballistician.
E reply say even Di ballistician dey come to testify.
Di defense counsel go ahead to prove say di gun get one number.
Testimony of di ballistician
After di testimony of di IPO, di prosecution team invite a second witness Adeyeye Bamisope to give testimony. Di witness dey work as ballistician for di SCID.
E explain say during dia investigation dem find out say di bullet enter through di passenger widow and shatter di glass.
“We no see any bullet holes for body of di car nor for di interior” na so e tok.
E take time to demonstrate to di court parts of di gun and how to use di gun. Some of di parts wey im mention na trigger, corking handle, magazine, bullet, safety button and gun grip etc.
According to him “di two guns wey police use for operation dat day na AK 47 wey day use 70.60 ammunition. 24669 and 4156 na dia number”.
E describe di gun say di magazine fit take 30 rounds of ammunition, e get burnt propellers (gun powder), say di working mechanism dey complete. Dem be legal weapons.
During cross examination by the defense Lawyer Odutola, e ask di witness whether dem link di bullet fragment dem comot from di car to di gun wey di defendant use dat day.
E respond say dem no link di bullet fragment to di gun sake of di damage on fragment.
Earlier on Wednesday di armorer wey dey keep police rifles and ammunition bin testify to di court say wen di defendant return di guns and im check am, two bullets dey miss inside.
Judge Harrison Ibironke adjourn di case to 15 February, for continuation of trial.
