Raheem: Suspect plans no-case submission, prosecution closes case
An Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, who allegedly killed a Lagos-based lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day on Wednesday, told a Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, that he was going to file a no-case submission in a bid to quash the criminal charge.
Vandi’s counsel, Adetokunbo Odutola, stated this shortly after the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), closed the case of the state government upon the discharge of his last witness.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, the prosecution called its last witness, Dr Williams Olatunde, a pathologist and forensic expert who told the court how a post-mortem examination was conducted on the deceased.
Olatunde said examinations conducted revealed that there were multiple defects mainly on the body’s anterior chest wall and one defect from the left axillary fold.
“On internal examination, there were multiple visceral or organ injuries and musculoskeletal injuries and the specific injuries include multiple rib fractures, multiple injuries to the intercostals spaces and injuries to both lungs,’’ he said.
He explained that he was able to establish three things from the examination conducted which could be the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock, and destruction of the chest visceral and musculoskeletal tissues.
He added, “The defect was caused by the largest shattered bullet fragment. The target path of the bullet is determined by the relative positions of all injuries to each other. In this case, we determined that the target path was from left to right.
“From the base of the severity of the injuries seen, the bullet was moving at the maximum force which was likely to be a discharge from a close range. A bullet could strike an object and bounce in the direction of the body.
“In simple terms, the deceased was pregnant within less than three months.”
During cross-examination, the defence counsel asked the pathologist if he can determine through his post-mortem report the person who pulled the trigger that killed the deceased and he replied he could not determine that.
Odutola also argued that the witness based his post-mortem records on media reports but Williams responded that all conclusions were made based on findings discovered at the autopsy.
After listening to the witness, Justice Ibironke Harrison, announced that the prosecutor has closed its case and ordered both counsel to file their adoption for final written address within five days, and adjourned the case till February 28, 2023.
