Lagos: A Lagos High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square sentenced Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver Andrew Ominikoron to death by hanging for the murder of his passenger, Oluwabamise Ayanwola. Ominikoron was arraigned for the rape and murder of 22-year-old fashion designer Ayanwola, who boarded his BRT bus on February 26, 2022.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Justice Sherifat Sonaike found Ominikoron guilty of murder and attempted rape of Ayanwola. The court also found him guilty of raping Nneka Udezulu and sexually assaulting Dr. Victoria Anosike on separate occasions. Justice Sonaike sentenced Ominikoron to life imprisonment for the rape of Udezulu, 14 years imprisonment for the attempted rape of Ayanwola, and three years imprisonment for the sexual assault on Dr. Anosike.
Justice Sonaike, in her ruling, stated that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court admitted a voice recording sent by the deceased to her friend as a dying declaration, which indicated the danger she felt while inside the defendant’s bus. The prosecution witnesses provided evidence of the defendant’s pattern of picking up unsuspecting passengers in isolated areas and sexually assaulting them, establishing him as a serial rapist.
The judge noted the circumstantial evidence, including the defendant’s failure to report the incident to his office and his attempt to flee to a remote village before being arrested, as indicators of a guilty mind. She concluded that the ingredient of murder was established beyond all reasonable doubt.
The defendant’s claims of regret over Ayanwola’s death were dismissed by the judge as an attempt to garner sympathy. The court highlighted the need for improved recruitment standards to ensure passenger safety, especially for young women.
The prosecution presented nine witnesses during the trial, while Ominikoron was the sole witness for the defense. He was charged with conspiracy, rape, attempted rape, and murder by the Lagos State Government but pleaded not guilty. The offences were said to contravene Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.