A Lagos State High Court has sentenced Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Nice Ominikoron, to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwola.
Delivering the verdict at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex, Justice Sherifat Sonaike pronounced that Ominikoron would be “hanged by the neck until he is dead,” for killing the young woman, who went missing in February 2022 after boarding a BRT bus. Her lifeless body was later found dumped along a roadside, sparking nationwide outrage.
In addition to the murder conviction, the court found Ominikoron guilty of raping Maryland Ojiezelu and sexually assaulting Dr. Anosike Victoria. Justice Sonaike noted that the convict used his role as a public transport driver to target and violate female passengers.
The BRT driver faced five charges, including murder, rape, and conspiracy. Though he pleaded not guilty, the court ruled otherwise, relying on compelling evidence presented by the prosecution, including medical reports and eyewitness testimonies.
The ruling brings a measure of justice to the victim’s family and serves as a wake-up call for enhanced security measures within Nigeria’s public transportation system.