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By Emmanuel Adeleke
A Lagos State High Court has sentenced Drambi Vandi, the police officer who killed pregnant lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, to death by hanging.
The trial judge, Ibironke Harrison in her judgement on Monday, convicted Vandi on a one-count charge of murder.
“The court found the defendant guilty on one count of murder. You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead,” she said.
Recall that Vandi killed Raheem, an expectant mother, on Christmas Day in 2022 at the Ajah roundabout in Lagos.
The police officer, who was attached to the Ajiwe Police Division in the Ajah area of the state, was suspended two days after the incident.
The state government had preferred a one count of murder against the defendant and subsequently arraigned him.
Since the court trial started in January, the deceased’s husband, sister, police armourer, pathologist and seven others testified against the defendant.
The prosecution tendered 27 exhibits.
Vandi was the only witness who testified in his own defence.
In his testimony before the court, Vandi told the judge that the bullet presented in court, which was said to have killed the deceased, did not come from the rifle he carried on the day of the incident.
He also claimed that he had never seen the bullet until it was tendered in court.