•Late Bamise Ayanwola Oluwabamise
A Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square has set May 2, 2025, as the date for delivering judgment in the trial of Andrew Ominikoron, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver accused of raping and murdering his passenger, Bamise Ayanwola.
Justice Sherifat Sonaike announced the decision after both the prosecution and defense adopted their final written addresses, reports Nigerian Tribune.
Ominikoron, 47, was first arraigned in March 2022 on a five-count charge, including rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault, and murder. The Lagos State government alleged that he conspired with unidentified individuals to sexually assault and kill Ayanwola, a 22-year-old fashion designer, on February 26, 2022.
According to the prosecution, Ayanwola was raped and murdered between Lekki-Ajah Expressway and Carter Bridge around 7 p.m. that evening. The defendant and his alleged accomplices reportedly threw her out of the moving bus, leading to fatal injuries.
Additionally, Ominikoron is accused of raping a 29-year-old woman, Maryjane Odezulu, on November 25, 2021, near the Lekki-Ajah Conservation Centre. Prosecutors stated that the alleged crimes violate Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015.
Despite the charges, Ominikoron has maintained his innocence, claiming during his defense, which began on October 17, 2024, that he neither raped nor killed Ayanwola. He testified that three male passengers who boarded his bus after operating hours were responsible for the attack and ultimately pushed her out of the vehicle.
During the final hearing, defense counsel Abayomi Omotubora argued that the prosecution failed to provide concrete evidence directly linking his client to the crime. He contended that while Lagos State had established that Ayanwola died, it had not proven that Ominikoron’s actions specifically caused her death.
“Someone else other than the defendant raped and threw her out of the bus, resulting in blunt force trauma which led to her death,” Omotubora stated.
He further noted that the testimonies of nine prosecution witnesses did not pinpoint any specific act by the defendant that resulted in Ayanwola’s death. He also questioned why the prosecution failed to present other alleged rape victims as witnesses and dismissed their claims as hearsay.
The defense also challenged the significance of a voice note Ayanwola had reportedly sent to her friend on the night of the incident, arguing that it did not clarify the circumstances of her death.
In response, the Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, asserted that Lagos State had provided sufficient evidence, including clothing from one of the victims and statements from police officers involved in the investigation. He emphasized that corroboration is not necessary to secure a rape conviction.
The prosecution also pointed out that Ominikoron was the last known person to be with Ayanwola before her death. Instead of reporting the incident to authorities to clear his name, he fled to Ososa, Ogun State, where he was later arrested by the Department of State Security Services.
Citing Section 34 of the Evidence Act, Martins urged the court to consider Ayanwola’s voice note as a “dying declaration,” given that she had expressed fear for her safety while in the bus.
With arguments concluded, Justice Sonaike scheduled judgment for May 2, 2025.
