News
Vandi broke down when I asked for two missing bullets after Bolanle’s murder, police witness
A witness in the trial of Drambi Vandi the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who allegedly pulled the trigger that killed Bolanle Hakeem, on Christmas Day in Lagos, has told a Lagos court how two bullets assigned to the officer were found missing from his Ak-47 rifle shortly after the incident.
The officer was issued with 25 rounds of ammunition on the fateful day for the operation and during a check after Raheem was shot and killed at the Ajah Bridge Roundabout, two bullets were found missing, according to Adamu Shuaibu, one of his colleagues at Ajah Police Station.
Shuaibu was the armourer on duty at the Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah, where tha accused officer worked, told the Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) that he noticed the shortage of bullets when he received the rifle from another officer who disarmed Vandi.
Led in evidence by Lagos State Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), at the resumed hearing of the murder charge against Vandi, who is facing a one-count charge of murder, contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, against Vandi, further told of what transpired on the ill-fated day.
In his testimony before Justice Ibironke Harrison, he said on December 25, he received a call from Inspector Ameh Matthew, one of the officers at the scene of the incident, that Vandi had shot an expectant woman.
He said: “When I told the DPO what had happened, he led a patrol team to the scene. I called all the station guards to fortify the station. Later, I saw Drambi Vandi and Supol Segun with the defendant’s rifle which he handed over to me immediately he saw me coming out of the office.
“I personally disarmed Inspector Fiyegha Ebimine of his AK-47 rifle before cross-checking his magazine. The eight rounds of ammunition he booked were complete, but when I checked the defendant’s rifle, I realised that only 23 rounds were found and two were missing. I immediately moved to the cell to speak with him and when I asked what happened, he started crying.”
When Onigbanjo asked if he could identify the register with which he took record of arms and ammunition as of December 25, the officer responded in the affirmative. He also identified the register.
He told Adetokunbo Odutola, cross-examination, Vandi’s lawyer, who inquired what he did with the guns after he collected them that he confirmed the number of ammunition together with the Station Officer before transferring them to the State Crime Investigation Division (SCID), Panti.
Explaining that he did not count the bullets in the presence of the defendant because after he was disarmed, the DPO ordered his detention before leaving for the hospital, he added that the tension was so high at that time.
Also explaining to the court the procedure after a rifle is returned to the armourer, he said: “The normal procedure when you return a rifle is that, I will bring out the magazine and count the ammunition in the presence of the person that I collected it from, and then sign after confirming.”
Clement Ikolo, traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom, on Friday, got into the safe hands of Ede Dafinone, Senator representing Delta North at the National Assembly, ending a three-week ordeal in the custody of the Nigerian Army, who named him as one of those linked the brutal murder of four officers and 13 soldiers in Okuama community, Ughelli South Local Government of Delta State, on March 14, 2024.
But, there is a caveat – nobody is full exonerated yet over the incident, Defence Headquarters, said on Friday, adding that his release was because nothing had been connected to him yet, coupled with the fact that some prominent people from his kingdom have come out to speak to his good character.
The traditional ruler was earlier declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) alongside seven others on March 28, a day after he turned himself in, for their alleged involvement in the killing of the soldiers in Okuama community of Ughelli South LGA of the State while on peace mission.
Onyema Nwachukwu, a Major General and spokesman of the DHQ, who handed the monarch over to the Senator, explained that the Army took the decision after painstakingly reviewing every available information on the incident, and came to the preliminary observation, that while the culpability had not conclusively established anything against him, there was insufficient evidence to exonerate anyone at this stage.
He however added that due to the intervention of eminent personalities, and the fact that the monarch voluntarily turned himself in, he has released to Dafinone on the condition that he would always assist in the ongoing investigations.
Others declared wanted, included Prof. Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbo (Aka Amagben), Akata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki; a traditional ruler, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukeywe; Reuben Baru, and Igoli Ebi.
Before surrendering himself to the police, who eventually handed him over to the military, the monarch, had in a public statement, claiming innocence of complicity in the murder of the 17 military men: “I am very surprised that my name as the monarch of the kingdom will appear in the list of wanted persons.
“I have no hand in the killings, I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody. It is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic. It is a serious crime against humanity. They need to look at the appropriate places and do thorough investigation to know all those who committed this, bring them to book and let justice prevail.
“I am not a party to this. And like I have said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through. And as I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite the opponents recently just before these happenings.
“(The arrangement was) To invite those who are fighting me in the kingdom to reconcile the differences and allow me to go into the kingdom and start to rule as the monarch of the place. I have not been able to set up anything. Not even my traditional council.
“I have done nothing in the kingdom. So I barely know anything right now. I have no information, I know nothing. I’m only just in the process of setting up a structure to enable me rule in the kingdom.”
There is no valid order stripping Abdullahi Ganduje of his position of National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), known to the party and therefore, he will continue his duties as prescribed, the National Working Committee (NWC), has insisted, debunking that he is no longer a member of the party by the orders of the courts.
Felix Morka, spokesman of the party, who made this declaration on Wednesday, on Arise Television, maintained that neither Ganduje himself nor the party, was served with the orders, said to have been obtained against the party boss by his ward in Kano State, where he served as a two-term governor between 2015 and 2023.
Insisting that Ganduje’s position remained intact, explained that the ruling party would disregard the said court order affirming Ganduje’s suspension as APC national chairman and only honour the recent Kano Federal High Court ruling ordering a stay of the order.
The declaration is coming on a day Justice AM Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja overturned the said suspension of Ganduje by his ward executives in Dawakin Tofa Local Government area of Kano State.
The party boss, had obtained the ruling through another ex-parte motion in which he sought to enforce his fundamental right to a fair hearing, in a suit, in which he also joined the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS ), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and nine other individuals.
Morka told his hosts: “The order issued by the first court was very disturbing, for some reasons. First, the plaintiffs who purportedly filed that action are not recognised members of our party and therefore shouldn’t have the locus standi to invoke the authority of the court to make any such order.
“Secondly, every lawyer in this country is aware that from the Supreme Court up to the NJC, there is this cautiousness that judges don’t make orders that are far-reaching in effect on an ex parte motion or application”
Habeeb Okikiola, maverick Nigerian popstar, popularly known as Portable, has alerted Nigerians that he might be the next in the radar of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) currently hunting down Nigerian celebrities involved in the abuse of the Naira, the nation’s local currency.
Last Friday, a Federal High Court sent Idris Okuneye, Nigeria’s popular crossdresser, also known as Bobrisky, for pleading guilty to a four-count charge over the offence, after which it began the trial of Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, on Tuesday after his arrest for the same offence, on Monday.
Citing an alleged campaign by self-acclaimed social media activist, VeryDarkMan to push the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to come after him, the Zazu crooner who is currently abroad, fearing that the anti-graft agency could pick him up upon his return, pleaded that he should be spared.
Begging the commission’s operatives to forgive him should they have any evidence of his abusing the currency, the singer, told his fans during an Instagram live session: “I am scared. The EFCC is planning to arrest me when I return to Nigeria because VeryDarkMan name-dropped me.
“VeryDarkMan abi VeryDarkBrain, you talk too much. Leave talk for people who have something reasonable to say. Are you a law enforcement officer? Your opinions on public affairs are for people in the law enforcement agencies. When you were arrested it was Nigerians who begged for your freedom. When you came out, you were lean; all your muscles disappeared. And now you’re bragging. Leave talk for people who are sensible. You talk about women, politics, everything. What do you do for a living? Talk talk.”
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