The family of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, the young woman brutally murdered after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus in Lagos, has urged the government to arrest all individuals who may have aided the crime.
On Friday, Justice Sherifat Sonaike of the Lagos State High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square sentenced the convicted BRT driver, Andrew Ominikoron, to death by hanging for Ayanwola’s murder.
Ayanwola went missing on February 26, 2022, after entering Ominikoron’s BRT bus in the Ajah area, sparking widespread outrage and a city-wide manhunt. Her body was found nine days later on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island.
Ominikoron was subsequently arrested and prosecuted on five counts, including conspiracy, rape, murder, and sexual assault, brought by the Lagos State Government. During the trial, 11 witnesses testified against him.
Though Ominikoron denied raping or killing Ayanwola during his defence, which began on October 17, 2024, the court found him guilty on multiple charges. Justice Sonaike ruled that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ominikoron’s actions directly led to Ayanwola’s death.
In addition to the murder conviction, Ominikoron was found guilty of raping another passenger, Nneka Udezulu, attempting to rape Ayanwola, and sexually assaulting Dr. Victoria Anosike, all of whom had boarded his bus at different times.
Justice Sonaike handed the following sentences:
Life imprisonment for the rape of Nneka Udezulu
14 years for the attempted rape of Ayanwola
3 years for the sexual assault of Dr. Anosike
Death by hanging for the murder of Oluwabamise Ayanwola
She admitted a voice note Ayanwola sent to a friend from inside the BRT bus as a dying declaration, describing it as key evidence showing she feared for her life due to Ominikoron’s suspicious behaviour. The judge said this voice message, alongside other circumstantial evidence—such as his attempt to flee and failure to report the incident—exposed a “guilty mind.”
Calling Ominikoron a serial rapist, the judge highlighted his repeated pattern of targeting vulnerable female passengers and exploiting his position as a BRT driver.
Justice Sonaike remarked that more victims might exist but may have remained silent due to shame. She described the case as a wake-up call for the government to review recruitment processes for public transport operators.
Reacting to the verdict, Bamise’s elder sister, Onapemipo Damilola, expressed satisfaction with the judgment but called for the arrest of everyone who collaborated with the convict. She commended the judge for her fairness and empathy, stating, “She understood our pain and delivered an unbiased, accurate judgment.”
When asked about compensation from the Lagos State Government, Damilola said the family had not received any such offer.
