•Ensures justice for the family
•Orders law enforcement to take swift action against offenders
•Delegation of Sanwo-Olu visits departed family
•NHRC asserts that officers carrying weapons must be psychologically stable
•LERSA urges police to stop killing innocent Nigerians.
Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Segun James in Lagos
President Muhammadu Buhari has denounced the “heinous and senseless” murder of Omobolanle Raheem, a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who was killed by police on Christmas Day in Lagos.
On Monday evening, Buhari expressed his astonishment and sadness upon learning of the terrible murder. He gave the police officers the order to pursue “the utmost possible action” against the offenders, who were already being detained.
According to a statement released by his spokeswoman, Mallam Garba Shehu, yesterday, Buhari described the incident as a sharp reminder of the ongoing misuse of weapons and a wake-up call to law enforcement organisations, particularly the police, to ensure the full implementation of reforms put in place by the administration on the topic of weapons handling as well as the preservation of citizens’ rights.
“The nation stands in sympathy with the grieving family and the NBA during this hour of sadness. Justice will be served in this matter, I can guarantee you of that” the president stated.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, similarly reaffirmed his stance on justice for the families of the deceased by sending a delegation to comfort them yesterday at their house in Ajah.
Moyo Onigbanjo, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, assured the lawyer’s family that justice would be served in this case with the permission of the governor. “The matter will be charged to court as soon as the police send us the case file,” Onigbanjo continued. To demonstrate the importance the government places on this issue, I shall be serving as the prosecution’s chief.
Special Advisor Tubosun Alake reportedly said that the governor advised the family to remain optimistic in a statement. He asked God to comfort the family in his prayer.
The husband of the late Bolanle, Mr. Gbenga Raheem, thanked Sanwo-Olu for his empathy.
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Additionally, the state government’s condolence register was signed by the delegation’s head of service, Muri Okunola; the commissioner for women’s issues and poverty alleviation, Mrs. Bolaji Dada; and the commissioner for information and strategy, Gbenga Omotoso.
Chief Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), denounced the murder of Raheem and insisted that the Nigeria Police must make sure that all armed personnel are mentally stable and adhere to the law.
In response to the passing of the lawyer, Ojukwu stated the occurrence was terrible. He claimed that the murderous cop had violated Nigerian Police professional standards and operating procedures.
He noted that despite travelling the nation to educate police officers on the best ways to uphold human rights and integrate them into their work, “we are still recording sad occurrences of extrajudicial murders committed by the police officers.”
While praising the police high command for taking the required steps to apprehend and place the insubordinate officer in custody, Ojukwu stated that the commission would continue to keep an eye on the officer’s investigation and legal proceedings to make sure that justice was done.
He expressed sympathy to the deceased’s family and the NBA. He expressed sadness that the panel was caught off guard by Raheem’s passing and emphasised the need for a long-term solution to stop police deaths that could have been prevented.
The head of the NHRC expressed concern that the commission had documented multiple instances of extrajudicial murders by the police and committed to use all of its resources to prevent the cases from being ignored.
The Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), the umbrella organisation representing estates and residents in the Lekki- Epe corridor of Lagos State, urged for quick action to end the killing of its members and other Nigerians by policemen.
Raheem’s murder was referred to as “distressing” and “one of too many events within a very short period” by LERSA in a statement by its president, James Emadoye.
Emadoye recounted a recent demonstration over the killing of a talented young man that nearly got out of hand in the Sangotedo neighbourhood.
The president of LERSA claims that the organisation does not believe that protests will result in the desired outcomes and has so begun working with the appropriate authorities to find a long-term solution to “what has become a huge threat to the towns in the corridor and the entire country.”
Emadoye said, “I spoke with the Area J Police Commander the morning of the event along with a few members of our exco. I can promise you that this has the authorities concerned as well.
“An innocent pregnant woman and her four children were slaughtered in a car for no reason. We need to plan and determine what else we can do to prevent incidents of this nature.
Emadoye disclosed that one of the steps LERSA was adamantly advocating was having the community assess the mental health of security officers who were carrying firearms.
The association would get in touch with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police right away about this issue, he declared. During this holiday season, our thoughts are with the deceased’s husband and children. May God give them consolation and the strength to continue.
He continued by saying that LERSA will see to it that the family of the deceased received justice and that her passing put a stop to the country’s needless loss of human life.
“We are pleased that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Commissioner of Police are already involved, and we are pleading that action not only includes the prosecution of Mrs. Raheem’s murderers and potential restitution for her family, but also includes clear, measurable, and sustainable actions and measures that will put an end to sad occurrences like this,” Emadoye said. The only way the neighbourhood has any chance of ever recovering from this dark Christmas is by doing this.
