Justice Sherifat Sonaike of Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has found a BRT driver, Andrew Nice Ominikoron, guilty of murder and attempted rape of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwola, and sentenced him to death by hanging.

  He was arraigned on a four-count charge, which was later adjusted to five bordering on rape of one Nneka Maryjane, conspiracy to commit felony, rape of Ayanwola, murder of Ayanwola and attempted rape of one Onyinyechi Victoria.

    Ominikoron was found guilty of rape of Maryjane and sentenced to life imprisonment on count one. He was however discharged and acquitted on count two – conspiracy to commit felony.

  On count three, Ominikoron was sentenced to  14 years imprisonment. On count four, he was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Ayanwola.

“For the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you,” the judge declared.  On count five, he was found guilty of sexual assault of one Onyinyechi Victoria and sentenced to three years imprisonment. 

  Justice Sonaike, while giving the judgment, said that the only reasonable inference the court could deduce from the case, based on available evidence, was that the defendant murdered the deceased. 

  She said the court holds that Ominikoron caused the death of Ayanwola and was the last person to see her before her death on February 26, 2022, re-enforcing his guilt.

  “The deceased died from severe cerebral injury and blood forced trauma and his actions and inactions led to her death. The law established that the person last seen with a deceased person bears full responsibility for death unless he gives explanation on how he has no hand in the death. 

  “In his evidence, he admitted he was alone with her in the bus and where her body was dropped and failed to return to the place to help her and ran away to another state without reporting the case,” the judge ruled.

  Justice Sonaike said the prosecution was not able to prove beyond reasonable doubt the matter of the rape of Ayanwola, but evidence showed that he sexually harassed female vulnerable passengers, put off the light in the bus and took unfamiliar routes, showing a clear well-thought out plan with the intention to rape.

Justice Sonaike ruled that he intended to have sexual intercourse with the deceased, but her death must have occurred when she resisted rape.  The issue of prosecution witness 3, 7 and 8 as heresy, stated in the final written address of the defence counsel, Mr Abayomi Omotubora, was discountenanced.

  During the trial, the prosecution called nine witnesses while the defence called one. The prosecution called Nneka Maryjane, BRT fleet operation manager, Kayode Aluko; ASP Isibor Moses, Social worker, Lagos State, Domestic and Sexual Violence Office, Segun Agbe and a pathologist, Sunday Shoyemi.

  Prosecution Witness Nine (PW9), Prof. Sunday Shoyemi, a pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), established that the death of Ayanwola was caused by force blunt trauma on the head. He said the death was ascribed to craniocerebral injury following a force blunt trauma. Justice Sonaike noted that all rape incidents occurred within a three-month interval.

  “This goes to show there may be more Maryjane or Onyinye, who for fear or shame failed to come forward and give evidence against the defendant. He can be termed as a pedophile and serial rapist who took advantage of his position. This is an unforgivable crime even under the law.

  “With him being the driver of a government bus, how safe are our young girls? The government needs to remodel the drivers and seek to keep passengers safe. This case has become an eye opener for everyone,” she said. Defence counsel, Omotubora said his client would appeal the case.