The Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square has found Andrew Ominikoron, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, guilty of the murder of 22-year-old fashion designer Bamise Ayanwola and sentenced him to death by hanging.
Justice Serifat Sonaike, in a judgment lasting over two and a half hours, ruled that the Lagos State Government, the prosecution, successfully proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ominikoron committed the murder.
The judge stated, “that for the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you.”
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Despite the absence of an eyewitness, the court’s decision relied on circumstantial evidence, the pathologist’s testimony, and the victim’s dying declaration, which the judge concluded pointed solely to Ominikoron as the last person seen with Ayanwola before her death on February 26, 2022.
The court also convicted Ominikoron for the rape of a 29-year-old woman, Nneka Maryjane Ozezulu, which occurred on November 25, 2021.
The judge highlighted the defendant’s history of raping female passengers in his BRT bus, based on extrajudicial statements from two victims, including Ozezulu’s testimony and a distressing voice note from Bamise shortly before her death, indicating a lack of consent to sexual intercourse.
However, the court noted that medical reports did not confirm penetration or the presence of semen in the late Bamise.
As a result, while Ominikoron was acquitted of the full charge of raping Bamise, he was found guilty of the lesser charge of attempted rape, which the prosecution successfully proved. He was also acquitted of the conspiracy charge due to insufficient evidence.
The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution in Lagos, Dr Babajide Martins, had requested the maximum sentence, while the defense counsel pleaded for leniency.
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