My spouse battled for survival as hospitals refused to deal with her – Slain lawyer, Bolanle Raheem’s husband, tells court docket

The listening to within the alleged homicide case of late Lagos lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, continued on the Lagos State Excessive Courtroom on Thursday, January 26, along with her husband, Gbenga Raheem, telling the court docket, how his spouse struggled to outlive as three hospitals denied her therapy after she was allegedly shot at by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi, on Christmas day, December 25, 2022.

Punch reviews that Gbenga additionally stated his late spouse obtained the Toyota Venza by which she was shot as a present on Friday, December 23, 2022, two days earlier than her dying. A property developer she labored for was stated to have given her the automobile as a reward for assembly her goal.

Whereas being led in evidence-in-chief by the Legal professional Basic of Lagos State and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, the distraught husband said that they received married 10 years in the past.

He stated on the day of the incident, the household woke as much as shock items she purchased the evening earlier than and positioned underneath their pillows as Christmas items. He stated he gave his spouse jewellery in return.

“Although she was pregnant, we had an intimate second that morning and she or he was actually glad. After that, we had a lightweight breakfast and we went to a close-by church with the brand new automobile gifted to her.

We keep at Ajah and on Sunday we usually go to the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Ikoyi. However on that exact Sunday, our church had a basic programme we name ‘Let’s go a fishing’ at Surulere.

So, we determined to go to The Phrase Meeting Church the place we received married 10 years in the past, as a result of my spouse was very near the founding father of the church as a result of they introduced her up spiritually whereas she was rising up.

They’d additionally misplaced a son, so we went to greet them after service. When she completed greeting them, my spouse stated it will be good if we might get everybody pizza.

So, we went to get ice cream and yogurt at Domino’s Pizza close to Ajah underneath bridge. We then went in direction of Ajah underneath bridge to make a U-turn to come back again in direction of Abraham Adesanya, as a result of our home is a couple of bus stops earlier than Abraham Adesanya.

As I did the U-turn, I noticed cops forward and the automobile in entrance of me slowed down. I overtook the automobile and there was an officer on my left that stated I ought to park.

Whereas he was nonetheless saying that I ought to park as a result of he was following me, swiftly, I heard a sound on my spouse by the passenger’s seat window; the window was smashed. I noticed blood gushing out of her chest.

I shortly parked and ran out with my sister-in-law, Titi, as a result of the kids had been within the automobile and she or he was seating instantly behind my spouse. She was the one which had the 4 kids within the automobile; we simply had one daughter,” he stated.

He advised the court docket that after they received out of the automobile, his spouse’s sister held the defendant and he pointed his gun at her that he would shoot her.

“I held my head. I used to be devastated. It was a foul dream and my life was simply going clean. Then, some guys stated we must always block the highway and lift the alarm so that folks might see what the police had completed. My sister-in-law pushed the defendant in entrance of the automobile and stated, ‘You shot my sister, you killed my sister’; my spouse was nonetheless acutely aware. I sped off and left my sister-in-law to take my spouse to a hospital.”

He stated the primary medical facility, Bodu Hospital, referred him to Doren Hospital.

“The defendant was following me however I didn’t understand how he stopped after we went to Doren Hospital. I used to be crying and shouting that the physician ought to assist me to avoid wasting my spouse; I stated she was pregnant, save her life.

They introduced an oxygen can and put it in her nostril and a needle in her hand and cotton wool to attempt to absolve the blood.

She tried to hope and the physician advised her to not discuss; she stated I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe and after some time, the physician stated we have to take her to Granville Hospital at VGC.

Once they took the oxygen cylinder away, I knelt and pleaded with them to avoid wasting my spouse. I went to select my cellphone from the automobile and confirmed them my account steadiness. I stated expense was not the problem.

So, once they stated we wanted to take her to Granville Hospital at VGC, they went to get the ambulance; once they got here again, they stated the driving force was not round.

I advised them to offer me the important thing in order that I might drive it; they went inside and got here again in a couple of minutes and stated the driving force went with the important thing. I now seen that my spouse was getting weak.

I begged the physician to comply with us; at the moment, that they had began urgent her chest. So, when the physician didn’t wish to comply with me, I stated please give me the nurse, as a result of the physician stated he couldn’t depart the hospital as he was the one one round.

As I used to be about to depart, I noticed a police van and advised them that they stated we must always go to Granville Hospital; they adopted me. After I received to Granville, I ran inside and began shouting, ‘Please assist me, my spouse has been shot.’

Then, a feminine physician got here out; I believed that they’d have taken her in, however she began checking her pulse after which stated she had handed on. I used to be shattered; I couldn’t converse once more. The police picked her and put her of their van, and I simply checked out my spouse’s lifeless physique and I used to be like my spouse is gone. It took me some time to place myself collectively as a result of every little thing was over,” he added.

Additionally led in proof was the sister of the deceased lawyer, Mrs Titilayo Enema. She advised the court docket that she noticed Vandi with a gun and when she heard the gunshot, she thought the defendant solely hit the windscreen.

“I simply heard my sister say, ‘Gbenga, bullet has entered my chest’; she repeated it the second time. Instantly, her neck simply dropped, her tongue was out, then her eyes closed. I shouted, ‘Mummy Semilore!’ I ran out of the car and held the police officer and stated, ‘You simply shot my sister now’. The defendant pointed his gun at me and stated, ‘I’ll shoot you.’

After I held him due to what he did, I used to be scared later till I noticed two boys who got here out and stated I ought to maintain him; I then turned daring.

Then I stated, ‘Oga, it’s both you shoot and kill me simply the way in which you’ve gotten completed to my sister; I cannot depart you’. I dragged him and stated, ‘You’ll sit down close to my sister that you simply simply shot’.