JUST IN: BRT Driver Bags Death Sentence For Lagos Fashion Designer’s Murder

A Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square has sentenced Andrew Nice Ominikoron, a former driver with the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, to death by hanging for the murder of 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Sherifat Sonaike held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, which relied on the doctrine of “last seen” and the victim’s dying declaration to establish the defendant’s guilt.

Ominikoron was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony, rape, sexual assault, and murder. He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

On February 26, 2022, Bamise boarded a BRT bus driven by Ominikoron at the Ajah axis of Lagos.

She was reported missing shortly afterward, which sparked outrage and protests both online and on the streets of Lagos.

Her lifeless body was discovered nine days later on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island.

However, during the trial, the court heard how Bamise had boarded the bus alone and was last seen with the driver.

Evidence presented by the prosecution included voice notes and messages the victim sent to a friend during the trip, which indicated that she felt unsafe.

In one of the recordings admitted by the court, the victim reportedly named her attacker shortly before she died.

Justice Sonaike, in her ruling, emphasised that the circumstantial evidence presented, coupled with the “last seen” principle and dying declaration, left no doubt as to the culpability of the accused.

“The defendant was the last person seen with the deceased. The victim’s clear and direct cry for help moments before her death cannot be ignored. The prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge stated.

The court, thereafter, found Ominikoron guilty on all counts and sentenced him to death by hanging.

Following Bamise’s death, advocacy groups called on the state government to install CCTV cameras in all BRT buses and implement immediate reforms within the BRT operations and the need for stricter background checks for public transport workers.

In response, the Lagos State Government pledged to review its safety protocols for public transport systems, and promised to introduce tighter regulations and better security infrastructure to prevent future occurrences.

JUST IN: BRT Driver Bags Death Sentence For Lagos Fashion Designer’s Murder is first published on The Whistler Newspaper