Nigerian courtroom sentences policeman to loss of life for killing a lawyer in a uncommon ruling

LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian courtroom sentenced Monday a police officer to loss of life for capturing and killing a lawyer within the industrial hub of Lagos. Many applauded the uncommon sentence as a punitive measure in opposition to rampant {cases} of police abuse.

After practically a yr, Justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos Excessive Courtroom discovered police officer Drambi Vandi responsible of 1 rely of homicide of Bolanle Raheem, who was pregnant on the time when she was shot {dead} Christmas Day final yr. Native experiences mentioned Raheem was in her early forties.

Vandi shot the lawyer after her car within the city of Ajah in Lagos did not cease at a checkpoint, native media reported on the time.

He had denied opening hearth at Raheem, however one in all his colleagues who testified in the course of the listening to confirmed listening to the gunshot. Vandi has a proper to attraction the ruling.

“You’ll be hanged by the neck until you might be {dead},” the choose informed the police officer who had pleaded not responsible.

The loss of life sentence was lauded by many in Africa’s most populous nation the place allegations of abuse and extrajudicial killings in opposition to the police are rife. On social media, individuals hoped the sentence would ship a warning sign to erring cops who typically evade justice.

Demise sentences in Nigeria are frequent however no police officer has acquired such sentence within the nation in a few years.

Nigeria has hundreds of pending loss of life sentences. Executions hardly ever go into impact as they require approvals by highly effective state governors. Solely two warrants for loss of life sentences had been carried out since 1999, in line with Inibehe Effiong, a Nigerian human rights lawyer.

There have been questions on whether or not the Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu would approve the police officer’s execution.

Authorities have been below growing strain to carry safety forces accountable after the lethal nationwide protests in opposition to police brutality in 2020.

Whereas many in Nigeria praised the loss of life sentence, some argued it must be abolished.

“The loss of life penalty is inhumane, quantities to vengeance and liable to error. There is no such thing as a proof that it has achieved the target of making a deterrence to crime,” mentioned Okechukwu Nwanguma, who leads the Rule of Legislation and Accountability Advocacy Centre which advocates for police reforms in Nigeria.