Lagos – Justice arrived Friday as a BRT driver sentenced to death by hanging for the 2022 murder of Bamise Ayanwola. The Lagos State High Court convicted Andrew Ominikoron for killing the 22-year-old fashion designer, bringing a long trial to a close. Justice Serifat Sonaike delivered the decisive verdict.
“For the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead,” Justice Sonaike declared. The court found Ominikoron guilty despite no direct eyewitnesses. Strong circumstantial evidence, especially Bamise’s final voice notes, proved crucial.
Dying Messages Seal Fate as BRT Driver Sentenced Death
Bamise’s tragic journey began late on February 26, 2022, when she boarded Ominikoron’s bus. Sensing danger, she bravely recorded voice notes for friends. Nine days later, her bruised body was discovered near Carter Bridge. The court treated these recordings as a dying declaration, made in fear for her life. Justice Sonaike confirmed the voice notes “implicated the defendant.” Evidence indicated she was killed resisting sexual assault and thrown from the bus. The fact the BRT driver sentenced to death rested significantly on these chilling recordings.
Pattern of Predatory Attacks
Disturbingly, the court also found Ominikoron guilty of raping another woman in November 2021 using a similar method. The driver turned off bus lights and used threats. “If it was consensual sex, why in a BRT bus?” Justice Sonaike questioned. The court labelled Ominikoron a serial rapist who dangerously abused his position of trust.
Justice Through Evidence Trail
The court applied the “last seen” principle. Ominikoron was the last person confirmed to be with Bamise. A pathologist’s report matched her injuries to being thrown from a moving vehicle. Justice Sonaike concluded all evidence pointed solely at the defendant.
While the BRT driver sentenced to death, he was cleared of conspiracy charges lacking proof of accomplices. Bamise’s family, however, maintains others were involved, citing the voice notes mentioning other people on the bus. Human rights groups monitoring the case echoed calls for deeper investigation, possibly using Bamise’s phone found with Ominikoron.
By Kayode Ojo
