BRT Driver Accused of Rape and Murder of Bamise Denies Charges

Andrew Nice Ominikoron, the Lagos State Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) driver on trial for the rape and murder of female passenger Bamise Ayanwola, has denied the charges and implicated three other individuals.

Ominikoron, 47, testified in his defense on Thursday, October 17, before Justice Sherifat Sonaike at the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square.

Under questioning from his attorney, Abayomi Omotubora, the defendant stated that he did not rape or kill the 22-year-old fashion designer.

He alleged that three male passengers who boarded his bus after official hours were responsible for the assault and for throwing her off the vehicle.

He recounted to Justice Sonaike that on February 26, 2022, he began his afternoon shift at 1 PM, with a route from Oshodi to Ajah.

After completing a round trip and returning to Ajah around 7 to 8 PM, he decided to pick up passengers illegally on his way back to Oshodi.

The defendant is facing charges of rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault, and murder brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

The charges indicate that the incident took place on February 26, 2022, around 7 PM, near the Conservation Centre on the Lekki-Ajah Expressway in Lagos.

The prosecution alleged that Ominikoron forcibly had sexual intercourse with Oluwabamise Ayanwole before murdering her.

The alleged offenses violate Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

During the resumed hearing on Thursday, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins, informed the court that the case had been on hold since November of last year.

He stated that the purpose of the day’s proceedings was for the defense to present its case.

The judge then ordered the defense to proceed.

Ominikoron, guided by his attorney Abayomi Omotubora, testified that he picked up the late Bamise at Chevron, along with three male passengers at Agungi.

He recounted that when one of the male passengers approached him, he initially thought the passenger was going to pay. Instead, the passenger threw something at his head, revealed a gun, and demanded his cooperation.

The defendant explained that when picking up passengers illegally, they often instructed them to sit in the back to avoid detection by BRT monitoring officials who might sanction the drivers.

He stated that he complied with the gunman’s instructions to change his route and put the vehicle in neutral. The defendant further explained that the interior light of the bus was on, but it was dim to avoid detection while picking up passengers.

He said, “The light that was on allowed those inside the bus to see, but it wasn’t bright enough for anyone outside to notice the bus.”

Omotubora then requested the audio recording made by Bamise, which was played in open court. He asked Ominikoron if he was aware that Bamise was recording or sending voice notes, to which he replied that he wasn’t.

He stated that he first heard the recording at the Panti Police Station after making his statement, but he didn’t understand it due to a language barrier.

The defendant also told the court that he did not know the three men he picked up at Agungi, as he had never seen them before and would not be able to identify them.

He stated that while at Panti, he was severely tortured and that the police pressured him to agree with whatever they suggested.

Ominikoron said, “I was brought out and questioned every 15 to 20 minutes and they continually took my statements.

“I could not write my statements due to the torture, so two to three people questioned me while the writer sat in front and wrote down my response.”

Omotubora then requested Exhibits 10a, b, 11, and 12.

Exhibit 10 was one of Ominikoron’s previous statements, which was read in court. In the statement, he mentioned that Bamise sat behind him, and he told her he liked her, but later asked her to move to the back to avoid detection by LSBS officers.

She moved to the second-to-last seat before he picked up the three men.

Ominikoron recounted that in the Osborne area, one of the men pointed a gun at him and forced him to change direction. He added that when they stopped, Bamise was screaming for help as she was being dragged away, but he couldn’t intervene because a gun was aimed at him.

He explained that after the men got off the bus, he went to the back to look for Bamise but couldn’t find her. He then returned to his seat and drove off until he parked at the toll-gate/7-Up terminal.

He stated that he went home and stayed there throughout the next day, Sunday. On his way to work on Monday, still in shock, he was called to go to Oshodi, where he learned that one of his passengers was missing.

Ominikoron informed the court that he later called a friend, Mr. Hope, to discuss a problem he was having with his landlord and at his office. He mentioned that he traveled to Ogun State to meet his friend and expressed his desire to stay there for a while.

When asked if he slept with anyone on his bus, he said he didn’t do that and that the male passengers raped Bamishe and dragged her out.

He explained that he was in shock and couldn’t tell anyone what happened on the Monday following Bamise’s disappearance.

“While still on my way to work, I was called to the head office in Oshodi to meet Mr Ola. On getting there, I was told not to drive out, but wait.

“Then some of my colleagues were now saying that I did ‘Korokpe’ (illegally picking passengers), after saying I didn’t do that, they now said one of my passengers is missing.

“After hearing this, I now found a way to leave the depot because I was afraid that the rumour had got to the office and I remembered that my MD had continually told us that he could not use N1m to chase someone even if it was N100. So, I ran away because picking people illegally is equal to stealing,” he said.

When asked if he knew a certain MaryJane, another alleged victim, and whether he raped her on November 25, 2021, he acknowledged knowing her but denied the allegations.

He stated that while they were in a relationship, he had never been intimate with her. He claimed that the last time they met, he sent her N3,000 for her sick child and began avoiding her because she frequently asked for money whenever they met.

“After giving her the money on that day, I avoided her and didn’t pick up her calls. So, I don’t understand nor know where she got her ideas from,” he said.

He was also asked whether he attempted to rape a doctor (name withheld) and exchanged phone numbers on December 29, 2021, in Ikorodu. He denied knowing her or being in Ikorodu on that day.

Before adjourning at the request of his counsel for further examination-in-chief until Monday, October 21, Justice Sonaike expressed strong dissatisfaction with the slow progress of the case.

The court noted that the frequent adjournments had been at the request of the defense counsel and pointed out that the last hearing took place on February 15, 2024.

In response to Mr. Omotubora’s request for an adjournment, the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Babajide Martins, mentioned that he had received a query from the Attorney General regarding the case, as the prosecution had closed its case in November 2023.