The death verdict delivered by the Lagos High Court on a dismissed police officer for unlawfully killing a pregnant lawyer, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem, may not bring back her precious life so brutally terminated; but it should send a strong signal to careless and trigger-happy cops, who treat fellow citizens with contempt, ostensibly because of the gun they wield, that the days of impunity and recklessness are over.
Even if the authorities are reluctant to take stern measures against killer policemen, who test their might on hapless citizens they are employed to protect, Nigerians will insist on their rights and the constitutional rights of other Nigerians to life and humane treatment.
The guilty verdict of the court on the policeman in this instance has the potential of curtailing rising incidences of citizens assaulted, violated, killed and humiliated by persons charged with the responsibilities of protecting them from harm. The High Court, sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, after appraising the Raheem tragedy in Ajah area of Lagos State, delivered judgement, sentencing dismissed Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Drambi Vandi, to death by hanging for killing pregnant Omobolanle. The decision is justice not just for the family of Gbenga Raheem; but for all those fighting against police brutality and gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria.
Vandi, attached to the Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah, Lagos State at the Ajah under-bridge checkpoint on Christmas Day, 2022, shot Omobolanle, a 41-year-old lawyer, to death in the presence of her husband, Gbenga. She was returning from an outing with her family members. The incident depicted a totally wrong show of power and wrong application of position. Vandi’s behaviour personifies worrisome trend of the mentality of barbarism by some men in uniform.
Law enforcement officers should not act as a top caste above the citizens. Security personnel should understand that the public hired them and the public pays them, and they cannot assault or kill members of the public.
Essentially, this case of Vandi killing Omobolanle signalled a bad omen and Lagos State Government (LASG) is commended for arraigning him on murder charge, in line with the provision of Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. This prosecution exemplifies the State’s commitment to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
Although there had been many such incidents of police mishandling of civil situations across the country over the years, Lagos state demonstrated similar commitment in 2008 by ensuring justice, through diligent prosecution, for a lady unjustly maltreated physically by some overzealous naval ratings.
On that Monday, November 3, 2008, Miss Uzoma Okere, the daughter of the Sergeant-At-Arms of the National Assembly, Col. Emmanuel Okere (rtd); and Mr Abdulahi Abdulazeez were victims of naval ratings attack on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was reported that Miss Okere was brutalised and stripped naked by Naval Ratings attached to a senior naval officer for not allegedly allowing the right of passage for their boss.
After about 13 months of trial during which the Office of the Public Defender, Lagos State Ministry of Justice served as counsel to the victims, Justice Opeyemi Oke of the Lagos State High Court, on Wednesday, January 28 2010, delivered judgement and ordered the four ratings and their boss to pay Miss Okere and Mr Abdulazeez N100 million for assault, in addition to offering “unreserved apology” to the victims, to be published in seven media organisations. Furthermore, due to the brutality of the naval ratings, the judge said that the ratings ought to undergo psychiatric tests to determine their sanity.
The Omobolanle case is a testimony that Protection Against Domestic Violence Law of 2007, which protects men, women, and children from various forms of violence is not a mere beauty on paper. Hopefully, the matter could be used to rebuild public confidence for collective action against GBV having demonstrated that the state is committed to eliminating all forms of violence against persons in the state; eliminating violence in private and public life; protecting women and vulnerable populations against violence; providing protection and effective remedies for victims; prosecuting perpetrators; punishing offenders; that nobody is above the law; and that the State will not tolerate the misuse of power and abuse of office, rather will protect Lagos residents at all times.
All those involved in the successful prosecution of the Omobolanle murder deserves commendation for not only doing their work but doing it well to logical conclusion. This judgment is a development to support the notion of the judiciary being truly the hope of the common man and defender of human rights. It is a signal of hope for civilians in the hands of brutal law enforcement officers and a pointer to the fact that a day would come when Nigerians would stop living in fear of men in uniform; who are actually meant to protect them.
Notably on the timeline for justice delivery, investigation, prosecution, and delivery of judgment spanned about 10 months. This accelerated hearing shows that with a committed judiciary, the timeline for justice delivery can improve towards restoring hope and public confidence in the judiciary; and encouraging citizens whose rights are violated to seek redress.
To debunk notions that the Omobolanle case was given special treatment due to the personality of the victim and the prompt response of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), there should be a policy putting a ceiling on the timeline for delivering judgement on GBV cases; or the government should set up special courts for handling GBV cases aimed at timely dispensation of justice. The long term aim should be to end the culture of brutality, impunity and lack of value for human life in the public and private spheres.
In addition, against the backdrop that the multiple forms of violence women and girls are exposed to across their lives, is occasioned by gender inequality, addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) will contribute to achieving gender equality and the empowerment for women and girls, which is focused on SDG5. Thus, LASG handling of Omobolanle’s case and paying attention to demands by citizens and duty bearers to act is an action that is aimed at ensuring the prevention and mitigation of violence, and hopefully ‘push’ Nigeria on track towards achieving SDG 16.