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Tag: Oluwabamise Ayanwole

  • Bamise: Pathologist reveals details of autopsy conducted on ‘murdered’ Lagos BRT passenger

    Bamise: Pathologist reveals details of autopsy conducted on ‘murdered’ Lagos BRT passenger

    A pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Sunday Shoyemi has released the details of the autopsy conducted on Oluwabamise Ayanwole.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Ayanwole is the 22-year-old fashion designer, who met with death on a BRT bus operated by the Lagos State Government.

    On Friday Prof. Shoyemi from the autopsy result disclosed that the death of Ayanwole was caused by a blunt force trauma on the head.

    The pathologist gave evidence before a Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, at the ongoing trial of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominnikoron.

    Ominnikoron is standing trial for alleged  rape and murder of Ayanwole.

    Shoyemi said that after his examination of both the external and internal body of Ayamwole, he established that her death was due to craniocerebral injury following a  blunt force trauma.

    The witness is also a lecturer at Lagos State University (LASU).

    He was led in evidence by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins.

    Shoyemi told the court that prior to the autopsy, the body of the deceased was embalmed.

    He said that the body had no clothing but noted that a silver-coloured ring was found on the middle right finger of the deceased.

    Shoyemi testified that he observed a bruise on the left side of the forehead of the deceased, and a bruise above her right ear.

    He also told the court that he observed a large bruise on the back of the skull of the deceased.

    “In addition, there was a bruise on the elbow region. These findings were external.

    “Upon opening, I saw what we call subdural hematoma which means bleeding into the soft tissue covering the skull or bleeding into the brain.

    “This was noticed in the frontal area as well as on the back of the skull.

    “At the back of the skull, there were multiple fractures which means bone broken into two or more pieces,” Shoyemi said.

    The pathologist also said that there was a fracture on the bone above the ear.

    According to him, bruises were also found on both lips of the deceased.

    Shoyemi, who was the ninth and last prosecution witness said, “In the light of all the findings and the internal findings, death was ascribed to severe craniacerebral injury following a force blunt trauma.”

    The witness further told the court that during the autopsy, he took samples from the deceased’s body for the purpose of identification and toxicology.

    He said that the samples were taken to the DNA forensic laboratory.

    During cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr Abayomi Omotubora, the witness told the court that information about the deceased was given to him by the investigating police officer before the autopsy was carried out.

    After the cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel informed the court that he had a pending application to recall some  prosecution witnesses for further cross-examination.

    In response, the prosecution counsel objected.

    Justice Sherifat Sonaike reserved ruling on the application until November 2.

    Ominnikoron is facing a five-count charge bordering on rape, sexual assault and murder preferred against him by Lagos State Government.

    The prosecution had told the court that Ominnikoron conspired with others now at large to rape and murder 22-year-old Ayanwole, a passenger on the BRT he was driving.

    The prosecution added that the defendant had sexual intercourse with Ayanwole without her consent, and murdered her about 7.00 p.m., between Lekki Ajah Expressway and Carter Bridge, on Feb. 26, 2022.

    The prosecution also alleged that the defendant and others at large, threw Ayanwole out of a moving BRT between Lekki- Ajah Expressway and  Cater bridge.

    According to the prosecution, the offences contravene Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

    The 48-year-old defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

  • How gruesome murder of Bamise raises fresh concerns in Nigeria ranked 16th most dangerous country to live in

    How gruesome murder of Bamise raises fresh concerns in Nigeria ranked 16th most dangerous country to live in

     

    The gruesome murder of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwole inside a commercial bus operated by Primero Transport Services Limited under the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos State has raised fresh security concerns about the spate of disappearances and killings in Nigeria, ranked as the 16th most dangerous country in the world based on 23 different indicators, including political terror, deaths from internal conflict, and murder rate.

    According to a report, between January 5th and December 28th, 2021, more than 185 ritual-related deaths have been recorded across twenty (20) States in the country.

    After the close of work on Saturday, February 26th, Ayanwole, the last of ten children born to her parents, reportedly boarded a BRT around Chevron Bus-stop, in the Lekki area of the state. The bus was coming from Ajah and heading towards Oshodi and she had thought to continue her trip to Idimu to spend the weekend with her elder brother, Pelumi Caleb when she met her untimely death. Her body was discovered a week later after it was dumped along the road.

    Before her death, Ayanwole became suspicious after joining the empty dark bus at minutes past 7 pm when the driver refused to pick up other passengers. She confided in one of her friends, a colleague from work and expressed her fears, making both audio and video recordings that eventually help to identify the particular bus she had boarded, as the number of the bus was inscribed at an angle inside the bus.

    The Police said her corpse was later found lying on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community, Lagos Island, but eyewitnesses said Ayanwole was still alive as at the time she was thrown out of the moving bus, with her lower region exposed. Her family has also claimed that her death was ritually motivated, alleging that certain parts of her body were missing, but the Police has countered the claim of body parts missing.

    Meanwhile, a magistrate court in Yaba has ordered that the arrested driver of the bus, Andrew Nice Omininikoron, be remanded in prison until April 11. No other suspect has been named in connection with the murder even though Ayanwole had hinted to her friend that the driver later picked two other men and one woman.

    “The police and the Department of State Service (DSS) picked up the driver, who ran to another state, where he was arrested. The full wrath of the law will be applied to whoever is found wanting in this matter and we will ensure the incident does not repeat itself,” Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said.

    Ayanwole’s murder is certainly not the first to occur in the State this year and becomes the fifth viral case of suspected ritual killings in the country since 2022. In January, operatives of the Lagos State Police Command had arrested one 32-year-old man identified as Afeez Olalere, during a stop-and-search operation along Itamaga, Ikorodu Road, in Lagos for conniving with his mother to kill his 21-year-old brother for rituals.

    “My mother took me to a herbalist who told me if I want to be successful in the yahoo business, I will have to sacrifice one life and that person must be a sibling to me. The things he would need to prepare a concoction with are his thumbs, his hair, fingers and a passport photograph,” he confessed.

    Olalere, a suspected internet fraudster, who was in possession of his brother’s head and other body parts which he served from the body when he was arrested by the Police said his mother suggested that they use his younger brother since he was only 21 years old and she provided the poison which was used to lace his food.

    While the country reeled from the shock of this confession, the homicide of Sofiat Kehinde and Jennifer Anthony, both 20-years-old in separate events in Ogun and Plateau States by their lovers made news and it was discovered that parts of their bodies were also mutilated for the purpose of getting rich quick.

    Kehinde’s 18-year-old lover, Soliu Majekodunmi, confessed he killed her with the assistance of three of his friends, cut off her head and burnt it because they wanted to ride exotic cars and live in luxury apartments. Anthony’s killer, Moses Oko, was arrested on January 11 in Benue State where he fled to escape justice and now feigns to be mentally unstable as he faces trial.

    Another suspected ritual killer, Timothy Odeniyi, 35, was arrested by men of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State, for being in possession of fresh human parts which he was to deliver to his “boss” in Lagos state in exchange for N30 million.

    Although Odeniyi claimed he did not kill anyone but only harvested the parts from a dead body at a cemetery, the Commander of Amotekun Corps in the state, Akogun Adeleye, said the suspect killed an unidentified man, severed his body parts and buried his remains in a shallow grave.

    “We want to intimate the public on the need to be very careful. Of late, the trend is shifting gradually from daily kidnapping to ritual killings. The public should be careful of the craze to make money by these young men,” Adeleye warned.

    In the meantime, two young ladies – Miracle Omeh and Temitope Abiodun Omisina – have been reported missing since last month. Omisina reportedly travelled to Ibadan and was returning to Lagos on the night of Thursday, February 17th, 2022 but has not returned home, while Omeh went missing on Saturday, February 12th 2022 after she went to visit a relation at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and their whereabouts remain unknown.

    On March 8th, 28-year-old Ifeanyi Anigbo, a first-class alumnus of the Pan-Atlantic University was declared missing. He was reportedly last seen on Wednesday, March 2nd around the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah Lagos.

    The never-ending spate of ritual killings in the country has sent shivers to Nigerians, who are now very worried even as Nigeria is ranked as the 16th most dangerous country to live in.

    While Nigerians join their friends and families to pray for their safe return, the House of Representatives has called for measures to beef up security and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on ritual killings in the country.

  • Bamise: Court remands BRT driver for alleged murder, rape

    Bamise: Court remands BRT driver for alleged murder, rape

    A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos, on Friday ordered that a 47-year-old Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominnikoron, be remanded in Ikoyi Custodial centre for alleged murder and rape of a 22-year-old girl, Oluwabamise Ayanwole.

    Magistrate O. A. Salawu ordered that Ominnikoron be remanded for 30 days. She held that Ominnikoron was to be remanded pending legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

    The defendant is charged with conspiracy, murder, rape and misconduct with regards to corpses. The charge was read to the defendant but his plea was, however, not taken by the court. Salawu adjourned the case until April 11 for DPP advice.

    Earlier, the officer in charge of the Legal Department at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Mrs Yetunde Cardoso., said that Ominnikoron committed the offence at 8 pm on Feb. 26, along Ajah-Oshodi expressway, on a Lagos State BRT bus with code number 257.

    She said that Ominnikoron, who was on duty as a driver, raped Ayanwole, and pushed her out of the moving BRT bus. The offence, she said, contravened the provisions of sections 411, 223, 260 and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    Sections 223 stipulates the death penalty for the offence of murder, 260 provides for life imprisonment for rape and 165 carries five years imprisonment for misconduct with regards to corpses.

  • Bamise’s murder: Commuters stranded as LASG suspends BRT operations

    Bamise’s murder: Commuters stranded as LASG suspends BRT operations

    Many Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) commuters were stranded at various bus stations in Laos on Tuesday due to the state directive to suspend operation in sympathy over the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwole.

    News correspondents who monitored the situation found that thousands of commuters were stranded at various stations across Lagos.

    A BRT passengers, Mr Innocent Kanu, said he waited for BRT at Iyana-Ipaja for three hours, saying that he had to enter other commercial bus at exorbitant price.

    He said that a daily trip which usually cost N1, 200 from Iyana Ipaja to and from now cost him N3200 due to the absence of BRT buses.

    “I entered N1, 000 from Iyan-Ipaja to Oshodi and I took another bus to Ojuelegba for N300 and enter the last bus going to CMS for N300 at Ojuelegba.

    Another passenger Mrs Lara Badmus, a former Banker now selling jewelries at Dosumu in Lagos, said she spent N1,500 from Igbogbo in Ikorodu to Dosumu market in Lagos.

    A staff of an insurance company in Costain, Mr Benjamin Ajayi, said getting to work was so hectic and expensive compared to other days because once BRT shun operations other transporters extort passengers.

    Ajayi sympathised with the families of the deceased and prayed for the Lagos State Government to get justice for the dead victim as soon as possible.

    A phone repairer at Computer Village in Ikeja, Mr Chidi Tobechukwu, said he spent N700 from Iyan-Ipaja to Ikeja as a result of absence of BRT operations in Lagos.

    The Public Affairs Officer of Premero, Mr Mutiu Yekeen, told NAN that the directive to stop operations came from Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu.

    Yekeen said that the protest to mourn the death of the missing lady who was later found dead led to the governor’s directive for all BRT buses.

    Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole, 22, who got missing after boarding a Lagos Bus Rapid Transit vehicle and corpse was reportedly found with some body parts missing.

    One of Ayanwole’s relatives made the claim on Monday, saying that they are awaiting the outcome of an autopsy.

    Many students of public schools who usually enjoy free BRT bus rides were stranded at various BRT stations in Lagos.

  • BANISE: BRT driver arrested, as victim’s corpse found

    BANISE: BRT driver arrested, as victim’s corpse found

    Lagos State Police Command has arrested the driver of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) bus, Nice Andrew, that took the late fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, 22, on February 26.

     

    Police confirmed the arrest of the driver shortly after the death of Bamise was made public.

     

    Spokesman, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the arrest, promised to provide further details later.

     

    The corpse was found lying on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community, Lagos Lagos Island, Ajisebutu said in a statement.

     

    The police disclosed that the corpse has been deposited at the morgue of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.

     

    Police said it has contacted her family members who have identified the corpse as that of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, the lady earlier declared missing.

     

    Ayanwola got missing while returning to Ota from Ajah on Saturday, February 26 when she boarded a BRT bus with number 240257 going to Oshodi at about 7:00 pm. at Chevron Bus-Stop.

     

    Bamise, the last born of the family, until her gruesome murder, worked as a Fashion Designer at Chevron Estate, Ajah.

     

    Bamise’s sister, Elizabeth Ayanwola, who was weeping profusely, demanded justice from the government.