A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has tasked Nigerian lawyers to ensure that the death of the Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mrs Bolanle Raheem is not in vain. Raheem was shot dead on Christmas Day in the Ajah area of the state. Her killing has sparked outrage from many Nigerians.
The situation has forced the Police Service Commission to suspend an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, the trigger-happy cop said to have been the brain behind the killing. In a statement, Falana condemned the murder and asked the Nigerian Bar Association to mobilise the masses in ending police brutality in Nigeria. “Nigerian lawyers must ensure that Mrs Bolanle Raheem does not die in vain like others who were dispatched to their untimely graves before her,” he stated.
“Indeed, the best tribute that the NBA can pay to the deceased is to use her cold-blooded murder to mobilise the Nigerian people to end police brutality in Nigeria. “To start with, police checkpoints must be removed from Nigerian roads. The roads should be patrolled by combined teams of officers from the police and road safety commission.” He also called on the Nigeria Police to strictly regulate the use of arms by policemen on duty according to the service rules.
According to the human rights lawyer, no lethal options such as batons, tear gas, water etc should be employed in dispersing crowds.
