By Elizabeth Godwin
A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square has sentenced a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominikoron, to death by hanging for the murder of 22-year-old fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwola.
Delivering a judgment that spanned more than two and a half hours, Justice Serifat Sonaike ruled that the prosecution, led by the Lagos State Government, proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court found that Ominikoron was the last person seen with Ayanwola before her death on February 26, 2022.
“For the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you,” Justice Sonaike pronounced.
Although no eyewitness account of the crime was presented, the court relied on circumstantial evidence, expert testimony from a pathologist, and a voice note recorded by the victim shortly before her death. The judge ruled that these collectively established Ominikoron’s guilt.
The court also found the defendant guilty of raping a 29-year-old woman, Nneka Maryjane Ozezulu, on November 25, 2021. Testimony from Ozezulu, along with statements from other women who had reportedly experienced similar assaults by the defendant while onboard his BRT bus, formed part of the prosecution’s case.
However, in the case of Bamise Ayanwola, the court discharged Ominikoron of the rape charge, noting that medical evidence did not confirm penetration or the presence of semen. Nevertheless, the judge convicted him of attempted rape based on the available evidence.
The defendant was also acquitted of conspiracy charges, with the court finding that the prosecution failed to prove the existence of co-conspirators.
Prosecuting counsel, Dr. Babajide Martins, Director of Public Prosecution for Lagos State, had urged the court to impose the maximum penalty. Defense counsel, Abayomi Omotubora, in his plea for leniency, asked the court to temper justice with mercy.
The case, which drew widespread public attention, has renewed calls for increased safety measures and background checks within the Lagos public transportation system.
