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| A photo collage of the victim Bamise and the BRT Bus |
The trial of the driver of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Andrew Nice Ominnikoron will commence on Monday, May 9th, 2022, before the Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square.
Andrew Nice was arraigned on March 22 before Justice Serifat Sonaike on a four-count charge bordering on rape, conspiracy, and murder of his passenger, Bamise Ayanwola.
Ahead of the commencement of trial, the family of the late Bamise Ayanwola had written to the Lagos State Attorney-General Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), seeking a fiat to prosecute the defendant Andrew Ominikoron.
In a letter dated May 4, 2022, and signed by the family’s lawyer Adesina Ogunlana, the deceased family said they wished to have a more independent body conduct the prosecution especially as in their view, Lagos State government agency, and officials are involved in the matter and may not be reasonably expected to act as the prosecutor against themselves.
But the Attorney General’s Office declined the request.
The Director of Public Prosecution(DPP) Dr. Jide Martins said that the state government had the constitutional responsibility to prosecute the case and it will not shy away from that responsibility.
The DPP also said that his office has huge experience in prosecuting cases of this nature and its antecedents show that it had prosecuted many murder cases in the past.
Dr Martins also specifically said that it’s not the first time the office of the DPP will be prosecuting officials of the state government.
Bamise Ayanwola, 22, went missing while returning to Ota from Ajah on February 26.
At the last sitting of the court, the DPP had told Justice Sonaike that on November 25, 2021, the defendant allegedly raped a 29-year-old lady Nneka Maryjane Ozezulu.
He said that the incident took place at about 7 pm at the Lekki- Ajah Conservation Centre, off the Lekki Ajah Expressway in Lagos.
The DPP also told the court that Andrew Nice conspired with others, now at large, and forcefully had sexual intercourse with Oluwabamise, a fashion designer after which he murdered her.
Dr Martins said the rape incident happened on February 25, 2022, at about 8 pm, on the Lekki-Ajah Conservation Expressway.
He said that the defendant and others still at large on February 26, 2022, unlawfully killed one Oluwabamise Ayanwole by throwing her out of a moving bus at Cater bridge after having sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
According to the prosecutor, the offences committed are contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
When all the counts were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.
