Slain female lawyer: IGP recommends suspension of errant policeman
Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, has recommended the immediate suspension of the police officer who shot a female lawyer dead, on Christmas day, in the Ajah area of Lagos.
Following the tragedy, the House of Representatives, yesterday, moved for the total ban of police officers from consuming alcohol and other hard substances capable of inhibiting their sense of reasoning and capability to carry out their duties.
The recommendation for the suspension of the policeman, Drambi Vandi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, attached to the Ajah division, according to the IGP, was to create an enabling environment for necessary legal procedures that will ensure justice in the case, without interference, while the Force awaited detailed report on the incident.
While noting that the suspension was in line with the internal disciplinary processes of the Force, the Police boss in a statement signed by the Force’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, clarified that “the suspension is without prejudice to the constitutional presumption of innocence in favour of the officer”.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to the Rule of Law and assured the public of his administration’s commitment to ensuring that justice was not just done but seen to have been manifestly done in the matter.
He, therefore, appealed to the public to be calm, saying, ” all hands are on deck to ensure justice prevails while measures have been put in place to prevent future occurrences”.
Meanwhile, considering a motion moved at the plenary by Hon. Babajide Obanikoro, representing Etiosa federal constituency of Lagos State, the House also recalled a similar incident on December 7, 2022, that claimed the life of one Kafaru Raimoh and therefore, demanded that immediate investigation be carried out to get justice for the two victims.
Presenting the motion, Obanikoro said “On Sunday, December 25th, 2022, Mrs Raheem and her family were returning from church when they were pulled over in Ajah area by officers of the Nigeria Police; without any altercation, one of the officers, ASP Drambi Vandi, aimed at and pulled his trigger, killing Mrs Raheem on the spot. Mrs Raheem was seven months pregnant with twins.
“The same incident happened earlier in the month, on December 7, 2022, by policemen of the same Ajiwe police station. They gunned down a young man by the name Kafaru Raimoh which sparked a bit of civic unrest.
“This type of occurrence happens often across Nigeria and the officers usually get away with shooting and killing the same innocent citizens they swore to protect”.
Adopting the motion, the House insisted that there should be zero tolerance for the misbehaviour of police officers that will endanger the lives of Nigerians.
-vanguard
