‘Young, vibrant, promising’ — lawyers pay tribute to Bolanle Raheem

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on Monday, organised a tribute session in honour of Bolanle Raheem, a female legal practitioner who was shot dead in an incident involving a police officer.

The session took place at the Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School, located at Victoria Island.

On December 25, 2022, Raheem was shot dead in an incident involving Drambi Vandi, an assistant superintendent of police, who has now been suspended.

The lawyer, who was pregnant at the time of her death, was returning home from a Christmas outing with her family when the shooting incident occurred at the Ajah axis of Lagos.

Vandi is currently facing a one-count charge of murder.

‘WE MISS YOU BOLANLE’

Speaking at the tribute session, Yakubu Maikyau, NBA president, said the association will ensure that what happened to Bolanle does not happen to any other Nigerian.

“Therefore, as we mourn today, I enjoin us to also reflect on our own lives; let us contemplate our mortality, our sincerity, and our eternity,” the NBA president said.

“Knowing that life on earth is transient and one day when our life is over, we would all stand to give account of our sojourn on this side of eternity.

“We miss you Bolanle. We are pained by your sudden demise. We miss the physical fellowship, but we take comfort in the words of the scripture which guarantees that when we exit our earthly house – our bodies, we only fall asleep and we shall continue to live in eternity with the Lord.”

‘THE PAIN HITS DIFFERENTLY’

“2022 was a sad year for us at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch in spite of our accomplishments. We lost a few of our members including a past Chairman. But the pain of the loss of Bolanle Raheem hits so differently,” Ikechukwu Uwanna, chairperson of the NBA Lagos branch, said.

“Mrs Raheem’s death is very painful because like some other unpublished cases, it was needless and avoidable.

“In this 21st century, we would have expected that our state actors and in this regard, the Nigerian Police will be better positioned to protect the lives and property of citizens and not take their life unjustifiably.”

‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE CUT SHORT’

“It sinks deeper, the hurt of a soul bruised by the very hand detailed to protect it,” Seyi Olawumi, chairman of NBA Ikeja branch, said.

“On that fateful morning, our rejoicing was turned to mourning when we received that sad news… yet another promising soul had been snatched from the Bar by the swinging barrel of a careless agent of the state.

“As silence followed the roaring sound from the smoking gun, our indefatigable dear colleague Bolanle Kareem, you laid there lifeless… you were the victim.

“Your beautiful life was cut short, your dreams snatched away from you at its prime. Now the Bar is left with your beautiful memories.”

‘WE WON’T REST UNTIL JUSTICE IS SERVED’

“It is with deep sense of great loss that we pay our last respect to you, our amiable Colleague, Omobolante Raheem,” Idris Thany, chairperson of NBA Ikorodu branch, said.

“It is a thing of great sadness that one so young, vibrant and promising was felled by bullet from the barrel of one paid to protect her and other innocent citizens.

“It was worse that it happened without any iota of provocation; and at a time of great merriment and celebration of the anniversary of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Omobolanle, we will not rest until we get justice for you against your assailant. Your departure has sparked debates and brought to fore the need to interrogate and overhaul the security architecture of the Nigerian nation state.”

‘TIME STOPPED’

“Christmas Day, 25th of December 2022 is a day that (and probably most Nigerians) remember with great sadness and justifiable anger. It was a day when everything went completely wrong,” Tobenna Erojikwe, a lawyer, said.

“A day that we were reminded of the reality that being a Nigerian citizen and a human being meant nothing to those who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting us as Nigerian citizens.

“Time stopped when the news of the event of that black Christmas broke There were many disturbing questions, too many. Was the report true? Could it be true? What happened? How could it have happened? And so on.”

See photos of the tribute session below.