Adegboruwa: Lagos trying to cover up murder of Bamise — packaged BRT driver for interview

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has accused Lagos government of “packaging” Andrew Nice, driver of the bus rapid transit (BRT) vehicle boarded by Oluwabamise Ayanwola, the late 22-year-old fashion designer, for media interview.

Bamise was found dead on Monday — nine days after she was declared missing.

The police, on Monday, said Bamise’s corpse was found on Carter bridge at Ogogoro community, Lagos Island

Nice was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ogun state.

Speaking with TVC when he was paraded by the police, the BRT driver claimed they were attacked by gunmen, who dragged out the deceased from the moving bus, during the trip.

Reacting to the development, Adegboruwa, in a statement on Tuesday, said the Lagos state government has “serious questions” on what he referred to as an attempt to “cover up this dastardly act of daylight murder”.

Making reference to a video that was said to have been recorded immediately after Nice’ arrest, the human rights lawyer questioned why the driver was dressed in a government outfit in contrast to his previous appearance.

“A video of his initial arrest showed that the driver confessed to having carnal knowledge of the deceased, in very remorseful fashion. He was dressed in shabby and disheveled attire, truly reflecting his fugitive status as of the time of his arrest,” Adegboruwa said.

“Who then packaged a crime suspect, to turn out clean shaven, dressed in specially designed Lagos State Government outfit and now well tutored to claim innocence to set up the cock and bull story of hijack?

“Why was Lagos State Government romancing a murder suspect? And why was he paraded on a selected media of TV Continental, over which Lagos State has influence through patronage?

“What is the business of Lagos State in the interrogation of a murder suspect? The Commissioner of Police had earlier addressed the press to the extent that the suspect had confessed to the crime before Lagos State emerged with the latter James Bond storyline.

“What interest is the government serving to cover up a clear case of blue murder? Has there been other cases of ritual killings in BRT buses to which the government has become accustomed?

“Why will a driver whose bus was hijacked and has thus become a victim himself then bolt away for days without reporting to his employers?

“Your employee that was trusted with human carriage took your citizen who boarded the bus innocently based on trust that it’s a government outfit, your driver allegedly saw the citizen abducted, your driver drove the bus to you, he did not report the incident but handed over the bus and disappeared and after public outcry he was apprehended and all you do is dress him up for press interview to lie to the public, after killing an innocent girl?

“It will be a sad day for humanity in general for a responsible government to stoop so low to try to cover up a clear case of murder, just for public relations. It is unthinkable that Governor Babajide Sanwoolu that we know would be a party to this nonsense story of hijack, which does not add up at all.

“It is clear that the Lagos State police command cannot be trusted to handle this case, given that it surrendered a murder suspect still under investigation to the Lagos State Government for media packaging.

“I therefore urge the federal government and the Inspector-General of Police to take over this investigation immediately, before the case is completely compromised.”