Bolanle Raheem: Husband Narrates How Pregnant Wife Was Killed By Policeman

For Gbenga Raheem, Christmas is a time that will forever evoke the tragic memory of the death of his wife, Bolanle Raheem, the lawyer gunned down by a trigger-happy police officer.

On Sunday, news of the tragedy swept across the internet, with the deceased becoming a trending topic on Twitter, where many called for justice on her behalf.

It was also revealed that the erring cop whose identity has been revealed to be the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, has been detained by his colleagues.

Bolanle, who was 41 years old, was seven months pregnant when her life was cut short by the bullets from Vandi's gun on Christmas day.

Bolanle Raheem

Sharing the heartbreaking tale, her spouse Gbenga said the lawyer had convinced him to take everyone out since it was a joyous occasion.

“On December 25, my wife, nieces, nephews, and cousins, who had come for the holiday, all went to church.

"On our way back, my wife said since it was Christmas Day, we should take everyone out, so, we went to a supermarket at Abraham Adesanya, then to Domino’s Pizza.

“After that, we headed towards Ajah to do a U-turn to come back to Abraham Adesanya.

"When we took the U-turn, we saw policemen stopping some vehicles. As we approached them, they said we should stop, and in the process, we heard a loud sound on my wife’s side window.

"All of a sudden, I saw blood gushing out of her chest.

“I immediately ran out; my sister-in-law, who was also with us, ran out and held the policeman; he cocked his gun at her too.

"Talking to him was pointless, so I went to see if anything could be done; I saw my wife gasping for breath, and by that time, my sister-in-law had brought the policeman into the car and pushed him into the front seat.

“We drove to a hospital but they said they couldn’t handle it; we eventually took her to Grandville Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

"The policemen took her body and put it in the truck; they wanted me to follow them but I said I needed to go and settle my children", he shared.

Speaking on the tragedy on Monday, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, ordered the speedy prosecution of all the policemen involved in her killing.

“The IGP, who described the incident as unfortunate and sad, has ordered speedy investigation and prosecution of the officers responsible for the ugly and unprofessional act, which doesn’t portray the Nigeria Police Standard Operating Procedure and core values”, a statement on Monday by the Force spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi reads.

Additionally, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged justice for the slain woman.

 “I’m aware that the Lagos State Police Command has arrested, disarmed and detained the police officers involved in the shooting incident.

"I can assure you that the accused persons will have their day in court and nothing will be spared under the laws of Lagos State until justice is served adequately.

"We will ensure that it is done speedily because justice delayed is justice denied.”