Sanwo-Olu: Why BRT bus boarded by slain Bamise had no CCTV camera

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, says closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera was not installed on the bus rapid transit (BRT) vehicle, which Oluwabamise Ayanwola, 22-year-old fashion designer, boarded before her death.

TheCable had reported that Bamise was found dead on Monday — nine days after she was declared missing.

Andrew Nice, the driver of the BRT bus which Bamise boarded, was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ogun state.

Speaking with journalists at an event to commemorate International Women’s Day, on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said the BRT bus boarded by the late Bamise is among the BRT buses procured by the Lagos government in 2021 from local manufacturers.

The governor said the batch of BRT buses from the local manufacturers has no CCTV camera in them, adding that his administration is speaking with the local manufacturers on the possibility of installing CCTV cameras.

“I think it is important to say this. I have seen on social media, people are asking ‘you don’t have CCTV cameras in your cars and vehicles’. No, it is not true,” he said.

“In all of our BRT buses that we procured two and a half years ago, all of them have CCTV cameras and trackers. However the additional ones that we bought locally last year are the ones we have not installed CCTV cameras.

“Because you need to do a lot of configuration before you can put CCTV cameras in them so we are speaking with the manufacturers of that. I don’t need to mention names but they were purchased locally. That is the unfortunate one this particular incident happened.”

‘DON’T ENTER A BRT BUS WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OFF’

Sanwo-Olu advised Lagosians not to board a BRT bus of which lights, including the radar lights which indicate destination, are off.

The governor said once the lights of a BRT bus are switched off, it means that the bus is no longer in service and that the driver is expected to take the bus to the park to close for the day.

“Any bus that has its inner lights on at night is certainly still on service. Once the lights are off and the radar in the bus is not displaying, people should desist from boarding such a bus, because it is no longer in service at that period,” he added.

“By that time, the checker and conductor would have been out of the bus, except the driver who is expected to take the empty bus back to their yards.”

SANWO-OLU TACKLES CRITICS, SAYS THEY HAVE NO CONSCIENCE

Speaking further at the event, the Lagos governor slammed his critics on the Bamise’s case, saying they want to score “cheap points”.

Sanwo-Olu said his administration will not be deterred by the allegation of cover-up, while assuring residents and the deceased’s family that justice will be served.

“I have seen several narratives and write-ups about it. Some people are being extremely sensational, posting and saying that ‘Lagos state government wants to cover something that even my person wants to cover something’, the governor said.

“I think people trivialise life and make it look at everything as if they want to score a cheap point. I think this message should go to people like that — they are of low minds and have no conscience.”

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a senior advocate of Nigeria, had accused the Lagos government of “packaging” Nice, the BRT bus driver, for media interview.