A Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafewa Balewa Square has sentenced a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominikoron, to death by hanging for the rape and murder of a 22-yeas-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola.
Ominikoron, who faced a five-count charge bordering on murder, conspiracy, and rape, was sentenced three years after being found guilty of killing Ayanwola, whose body was discovered by the roadside after she boarded his BRT vehicle.
In a judgment that lasted over two and a half hours, Justice Serifat Sonaike, also found the BRT driver guilty of raping another woman (name withheld) and sexually assaulting a female medical worker who boarded his bus in 2021.
Delivering the verdict on Friday, Justice Sonaike declared that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, confirming that the defendant committed the offences.
“For the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you,” the judge ruled.
The court noted that the incidents revealed the pattern of a serial rapist and paedophile who exploited the trust placed in him by the Lagos State Government—an abuse the court described as an unforgivable crime, even under the law.
Justice Sonaike also urged transport authorities, including those operating e-hailing services, to overhaul their recruitment processes to ensure passenger safety, particularly for vulnerable individuals.
