NIGERIANS on social media have expressed outrage over the death of a female lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, who was shot by an assistant superintendent officer in the Ajah area of Lagos State on Christmas Day.
The police officer was attached to Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah.
The ICIR gathered that the incident is coming barely three weeks after a young man, Gafaru Buraimoh, was shot dead by police officers attached to the same station in Lagos.
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RE : EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING
Gafaru Buraimoh was shot dead by Police Officers attached to Ajiwe Police Station , Ajah in Lagos State on Wednesday , 7th of December, 2022.#WhoisNext?#StopKillingtheYouths#EndSARS pic.twitter.com/BGS7ZUiC7i
— Connect Hub NG (@HubNGR) December 24, 2022
The unnamed policeman and his team were said to have tried to stop Bolanle and her family members as they drove back home from a Christmas Day church service.
Bolanle was shot when the car conveying her tried to make a U-turn under the Ajah Bridge.
The victim was rushed to a hospital but was confirmed dead.
The killing of Bolanle Raheem is one of the several incidents of police brutality and extrajudicial killings that have been recorded in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria in recent times.
Following the incident, social media influencers and human right activists have expressed their displeasure over the mindless killings of innocent citizens by the officers of the Nigerian Police Force.
A human right lawyer, Festus Ogun, described the incident as a recurring decimal and demanded justice for the victim.
“This unfortunate incident is not unprecedented. The police have shown consistent contempt and hatred to lawyers, over the years. The legal profession must rise in unison to avert this perilous precedent. There must be consequences for impunity.”
Lawyer Omobolanle Raheem was fatally shot dead by men of the Nigerian Police attached to Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah, Lagos. One death, too many. These evil and despicable men in uniform are getting emboldened with their reckless lawlessness. And lawyers are always targeted. pic.twitter.com/mHQzikJN2W
— FESTUS OGUN (@mrfestusogun) December 26, 2022
“Lawyer Omobolanle Raheem was fatally shot dead by men of the Nigerian Police attached to Ajiwe Police Station, Ajah, Lagos. One death, too many. These evil and despicable men in uniform are getting emboldened with their reckless lawlessness. And lawyers are always targeted,” Ogun tweeted.
Also reacting to the incident, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, tweeted, “A lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, is reported to have been shot and murdered at close range on Christmas Day by a rogue policeman attached to Ajiwe Police Division, Ajah. This is barbaric.
A lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, is reported to have been shot and murdered at close range on Christmas Day by a rogue policeman attached to Ajiwe Police Division, Ajah. This is barbaric.
It is a sad commentary that despite EndSARS, Nigerians are still being slaughtered by the police. pic.twitter.com/zEp69zu2Kf
— Inibehe Effiong (@InibeheEffiong) December 26, 2022
“It is a sad commentary that despite EndSARS, Nigerians are still being slaughtered by the police.”
A human rights activist, Rinu Oduala, also condemned the incident.
A lawyer and member of the NBA, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem has been killed by Nigerian Police officers on Christmas, on her way back from Church in Ajah, Lagos.
She was shot in the car while her husband was beside her. #EndSARS pic.twitter.com/s1K90spiyJ
— Rinu Oduala 🔥🔫 (@SavvyRinu) December 26, 2022
After surviving a tough year, a police officer in her country kïlled her while she was sitting in a car beside her husband on Christmas Day.
One PRO came to tell us “avoidable incident.” God will punish you!
— Rinu Oduala 🔥🔫 (@SavvyRinu) December 26, 2022
Reacting to the incident, the spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident but described it as “unfortunate and avoidable”.
“The ASP that shot and two others with him have since been taken into custody,” Hundeyin tweeted on Monday, December 26.
Unfortunate and avoidable incident that was. The ASP that shot and two others with him have since been taken into custody. They are to be moved to the SCID for further investigation. https://t.co/6Q0nYYEsMd
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) December 26, 2022
He also said the policemen will be moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, has been in touch with the family and the Nigerian Bar Association since yesterday and has given firm assurances that justice will definitely prevail.
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) December 26, 2022
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, has been in touch with the family and the Nigerian Bar Association since yesterday and has given firm assurances that justice will definitely prevail,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has demanded justice for the female lawyer, Bolanle.
In a statement released by the chairman, Ikechukwu Uwanna, on December 26, the Lagos NBA chapter said the national leadership of association is also monitoring the situation to ensure that the matter is given all the serious attention it deserves.
“Members of our NBA Lagos Branch Human Rights Committee led by Mrs. Tam George have met with the DPO of Ajiwe Police Station, and will meet with the Commissioner of Police later today (December 26) to emphasize our mandate of ensuring that justice is neither delayed nor denied,” the statement added.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.