Bamise’s Killing: Court Sentences Lagos BRT Driver To Death By Hanging

The Lagos High Court, located at Tafawa Balewa Square, has found Andrew Ominikoron, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, guilty and sentenced him to death for the rape and murder of 22-year-old fashion designer Bamise Ayanwola.

In a ruling that extended over two and a half hours on Friday, May 2, 2025, Justice Serifat Sonaike determined that the prosecution, representing the Lagos State Government, had convincingly established the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge stated, ‘For the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you.’

Despite the absence of an eyewitness to the incident, the court based its decision on a collection of circumstantial evidence, the testimony of the pathologist, and the victim’s dying declaration, all of which the judge determined indicated that the defendant was the last person to see her prior to her death on February 26, 2022.

Additionally, the court convicted the defendant for the rape of a 29-year-old woman, Nneka Maryjane Ozezulu, which occurred on November 25, 2021.

The court acknowledged the defendant’s history of assaulting female passengers on his BRT bus, as evidenced by the extrajudicial statements from two of his victims: Ozezulu’s testimony and a chilling voice note sent by Bamise shortly before her demise.

The court noted that the voice note indicated Bamise did not consent to sexual relations with the defendant. However, it also stated that medical reports did not confirm penetration or the presence of semen, suggesting that the act of rape was either incomplete or unsuccessful.

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Consequently, the court acquitted the defendant of the charge of raping the late Bamise but found him guilty of the lesser charge of attempted rape, which the prosecution successfully established.

Furthermore, the court dismissed the conspiracy charge, asserting that the prosecution had failed to substantiate it.

The prosecution, represented by Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecution in Lagos, requested the imposition of the maximum penalty, while the defense attorney, Abayomi Omotubora, urged the judge to exercise leniency.