A former driver with the Lagos State Bus Rapid Transport, who is standing trial for allegedly raping and murdering 22-year-old fashion designer Oluwabamise Ayanwole, Andrew Ominikoron, has narrated how he was arrested.
According to the PUNCH, the defendant is standing trial bordering on rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault, and murder brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
He was arraigned in March 2022, before the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square, over the rape and murder of his passenger, on February 26, 2022, at the Lekki-Ajah Conservation expressway.
Ominikoron, who testified in his defence before the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square on Monday, told the court that he did not rape nor kill Oluwabamise.
Testifying before Justice Sherifat Sonaike, the former BRT driver disclosed that he was arrested at Ososa in Ogun State around 1:am, while he was sleeping.
He said that he was sleeping around 1 a.m. when he heard a knock on the door.
Ominikoron said that the people at the door told him and his friend that they were officers and that he should open the door.
He added that when they did, an officer put a torch on his face and slapped him on the ear, and then he fell. Ominikoron said they brought out their phone and showed him pictures of a fair Iady that he kidnapped on his bus.
The defendant who was led in his defence by his counsel Abayomi Omotubora, said it was not true because that lady wasn’t the first he carried on his bus.
He added that they showed him another picture of a dark girl, which he agreed was the person on the bus. He said he was beaten, they tied his eyes, handcuffed his hand and put him in the Hilux alongside his work bag and his friend.
The witness said that when they arrived at their destination, the boss of the officers told him to just tell the truth about what happened so he would set him free.
Ominikoron said he narrated what had happened on the fateful day, but the police boss said he would do his findings and then took him to the torture room cuffed his leg and hand and put a pipe in between.
According to him, they told me I kidnapped someone and I said no but they refused to believe me. I was still being tortured and I pleaded that the pain was much and unbearable then I passed out.
The BRT driver said: “They poured water on me to revive me, then I begged them to give me a cup of water but they refused. The officers were ordered to then lock me in a cell.
“Around 4 am I was brought out every 10 to 15 minutes for interrogation.”
He said that he was later taken to the Department of State Service Office, where he saw his MD with other LAMATA staff.
He added that his MD asked him what happened, which he narrated, and then his MD said if he had told the truth, he should not be worried since they would make their findings.
The defendant said that in the evening of the same day, he was paraded before the press and later other officers came and one of them slapped him and he fell.
He said he saw two men, one who saw he was shivering and held him and told him not to worry.
Ominikoron further told the court that they took him from there to Alausa to the Commissioner of Police office.
“From there, I was taken to Panti where the threats and torture continued. I came out after five times to write a statement.
Two days later, I was taken by two officers and I showed them where I picked Bamise and re-narrated the incident,” he said.
When his counsel, Omotubora, asked if he had evidence of torture, Ominikoron showed his fingers and said his appearance was not how he used to be, adding that the former DCP from Ikoyi Custodian Centre had at a point ordered an inmate to deal with him to get information from him that the Lagos State Governor demanded it.
During cross-examination, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, asked the defendant if he could confirm he rode the bus with code 240257, on the day of the incident and he said yes.
He agreed that he was trained before he became a driver in the company and that in the case of any incident, he should call the office for assistance, sign out after he had packed his vehicle and fill out a complaint form in the event of an incident.
He also agreed that he didn’t do any of these.
When asked after his training, what was the company’s directive when there was an incident, he answered that he was told that whatever happened when they should call the office for assistance on whatever happened. She added that they were also told to lay their complaint with the depot manager.
Martins asked, “On the first two dates, did you lay a complaint to your depot manager?” He answered, “No I didn’t have a problem with anyone.
“On February 26, 2022, I didn’t make a report or call the office to tell them what had happened. The only problem I had in my 20 years of driving was on February 26, 2022, I was afraid, that’s why.”
The DPP asked him again, “So you packed that day and left without telling anyone?
“Yes,” he answered.
“When you came to work on Monday, did you make a formal complaint or complain to anyone?”
“No, I was afraid,” he said.
Asked if the bus he rode that night had a Closed Circuit Television, he said no.
The case was, however, adjourned until November 29, 2024, to hear the evidence of the two defence witnesses.
