Bamise: Lagos declined family’s request for independent prosecution of BRT driver, says lawyer

The Lagos government has reportedly declined to grant the fiat application by the family of Oluwabamise Ayanwola — who was allegedly raped and murdered in a BRT vehicle — to prosecute Andrew Ominnikoron, a BRT driver.

Adesina Ogunlana, the family’s lawyer, disclosed this in a phone interview with TheCable on Sunday.

The deceased’s family had written to Moyosore Onigbanjo, Lagos state attorney-general, seeking a fiat to prosecute Ominnikoron.

In a letter dated May 4 and addressed to Onigbanjo, the deceased’s family expressed their wish to have an independent body to conduct the prosecution of Ominnikoron owing to the circumstances of the case.

The family said officials of the Lagos government are involved in the matter and they may not be “reasonably expected to act as prosecutor adequately against themselves”.

Speaking to TheCable, Ogunlana said he was informed by Babajide Martins, Lagos state director of public prosecution, that the government did not grant the request.

He said the information was communicated to him verbally by Martins, not via an official letter.

“On Friday, Babajide Martins, the DPP, informed us that they have declined our request and that they have forwarded the letter to our chamber. Unfortunately, that’s not true. We called the office to confirm, but there was no letter,” Ogunlana said.

“We requested a copy of the letter but he declined. He said there was no need to do that since it has already been dispatched.

“Up till today, we have not gotten a copy of the letter. God willing, we will be in court tomorrow.”

Ogunlana also quoted Martins as saying that the latter’s office had the capacity to prosecute the case.

However, the lawyer expressed concern about the state government prosecuting the case since its officials are involved.

The trial will commence on Monday.

In March, TheCable reported that Bamise went missing after she boarded a BRT bus driven by Ominnikoron at Ajah axis of the state on February 26.

Nine days later, the corpse of the 22-year-old was found on Carter Bridge on Lagos Island.

Ominnikoron was later arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services in Ogun after he reportedly fled Lagos.