The Police on Wednesday said it would follow due process in the prosecution of Dambri Vandi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the Ajah Police Division who shot a female lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem, to death on Christmas day.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said this during an interview on Channels Television.

Adejobi said the process was necessary so as not to run foul of the law.

He said, “The officer is an ASP, he is not an Inspector and you can not just recommend his suspension. There is a procedure to follow and the number one procedure is for the Inspector-General of Police to recommend to the Police Service Commission that this officer should be suspended. The suspension is for us to have the ability to carry out a proper investigation. The officer is in detention and I think by now, we should have received the interim from the Lagos Police Command.

“Apart from what we have in the news, there must be a document. These are the procedures that we need to know. We need to follow all these processes so that we will not run foul of the law.”

Adejobi further disclosed that the case involving Gafaru Buraimoh, who was also killed by an officer from the same police division had been investigated.

He said, “The policemen who fired Ganiyu are in Panti as we speak and the matter has been investigated. At times, when we have issues like this, the family of the deceased always slow down our processes. This is a situation where some people prefer negotiation to legal action.

“People need to understand the pressure that we face. I have seen a case whereby the family of the deceased went to file a motion that they are not interested in the case anymore. Despite that, a murder case is a case against the state.

“The case will still go to court even if they file the motion. It is now left to the Attorney-General to decide. But while carrying out these processes, they slow us down. And in this case, we are going to make sure justice is done.”

He added that the AIG zone two would handle the case due to the rank of the officers involved.

“There are about two or three officers in that case and not one like this case we are handling now. Those involved are Inspectors downward, the AIG zone two will take decisions on those ones. They do not need to come to the IG level or the Service Commission level because there is no ASP involved in that particular incident.

“We don’t do anything with impunity. If you commit an offence as a police officer, you will pay dearly for it. The Police Act is clear about it, the constitution is clear about it and criminal laws are clear about it too.”

The spokesperson for the Police Service Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, told newsmen that the Commission would look into the recommendation of the Inspector-General of Police and take an appropriate decision.