Court Remands BRT Driver Arrested for Bamise’s Murder, Another Victim Surfaces

Bennett Oghifo and Wale Igbintade

A Yaba Magistrate Court yesterday remanded for 30 days the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Mr. Nice (Andrew) Omininikoron, who allegedly murdered a 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola, just as another lady accused him of rape in a me-too scenario.

Magistrate O. A. Salawu ruled that Omininikoron, 42, be kept in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services’ (NCoS) Ikoyi facility pending advice on the matter from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The court made the order following an application by the Officer in charge of the Legal Department at the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti, Mrs. Yetunde Cardoso.

The defendant was arraigned on a four-count charge of alleged murder, sexual assault, misconduct and interference with a corpse.

Oluwabamise, 22, was found dead last Monday on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island – nine days after she was declared missing after she boarded Nice’s BRT vehicle. The charge was read to the defendant but his plea was not taken by the court being a murder suspect.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs. Yetunde Cardoso, told the court that Omininikoron committed the offence at 8 p.m. on February 26, along Ajah-Oshodi Expressway, on a Lagos State BRT bus with code number 257.

The matter has been adjourned till April 11 for the DPP’s advice.

The four-count charge marked A/26/2022 accused Omininikoron of murder, misconduct towards a corpse, sexual assault and interference with a corpse.

The charge reads: “That you Andrew Nice Omininikoron and others still at large on 26th day of February 2022 at about 2000hrs, along Ajah – Oshodi Expressway Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit: murder and misconduct to a corpse and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you Andrew Nice Omininikoron and others still at large, on the 26th day of February 2022 at about 2000hrs, along Ajah – Oshodi Express Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, whilst on duty as a BRT driver within the metropolis with BRT BUS CODE NUMBER 257 did, intentionally push one Oluwabamise Ayanwole. F Aged 22yrs (Now Deceased) forcefully pushed her out of moving BRT Bus, abandoned and absconded the scene, and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you Andrew Nice Omininikoron and others still at large, on the 26th day of February 2022 at about 2000hrs, along Ajah – Oshodi Expressway Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, whilst on duty as a BRT driver within the metropolis with BRT BUS CODE NUMBER 257 did, forcefully had sexual intercourse with Late Oluwabamise Ayanwole. ‘F’ Aged 22yrs (Now Deceased) and thereafter, pushed her out of the moving BRT Bus, and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 260 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you Andrew Nice  Omininikoron ‘M’ and others still at large, on the 26th day of February 2022 at about 2000hrs, along Ajah – Oshodi Expressway Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, whilst on duty as a BRT driver within the metropolis with BRT BUS CODE NUMBER 257 did, improperly or indecently interfere with the corpse of late Oluwabamise Ayanwole. ‘F’ by dumping the deceased along the express concrete pavement, and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The late Bamise Ayanwola was declared missing on February 26 when she did not reach her destination after boarding the Lagos State BRT bus driven by Omininikoron, but nine days later, a search party found her corpse on Carter Bridge in Lagos Island.

Investigation led to the driver’s arrest by officials of the Department of State Services in Ogun State after he fled Lagos, claiming that gunmen attacked the bus and abducted Bamise.

The embattled BRT driver’s new accuser said she boarded the Ajah-Oshodi bus on November 25, 2021, and that he suddenly parked before a toll gate, switched off the light and ordered her to strip but that when she resisted, he drew a knife on her, tore her dress, raped her and transferred N3,000 to her to buy pain killers.

The victim provided video clips of her torn dress and her bank statement to confirm that the arrested driver sent her N3,000 on November 25, 2021.

Recounting the ugly incident, she said, “While on our way, he switched off the light of the bus, but the AC was on. But as we approached the first toll gate coming from Ajah, he suddenly parked the bus. He then told me to come and sit at the front and started asking me different questions.

“I saw him using a drug and my thinking was that he parked the bus to use the drug before time ran out. A few minutes later, he started making advances towards me and I saw that his manhood had risen up.

“I became very uncomfortable and insisted on getting down, but he didn’t open the door. He said he wanted both of us to go and chill and that he wanted to have sex with me, but I declined.

“Suddenly, he brought out a knife and dragged me to the back seat of the bus. He told me to take off my clothes, but I refused. He threatened to kill me. He tore my gown, forcefully removed the biker short I wore and raped me. I felt sad.

“He insisted on driving me to my destination at Jakande Bus Stop. When we got to my bus stop, he still didn’t open the door. He demanded my account number and started pleading over what he did. He said he wanted to send money to me to buy painkillers.

“I refused to give him my account, but he kept demanding and refused to open the door. Before he raped me, he seized my phone, and because I needed evidence, I gave him my account and he sent N3,000. He then opened the door and I left.

“I could not speak out because I was ashamed of what happened and believed I could not get justice. But when his pictures started circulating online regarding the death of the lady (Oluwabamise), I told my friend that I knew him (Andrew Nice).

“After seeing his coloured picture, I went to my bank, requested my statement of account, traced the day he sent me the money, and it was the same name, Omininikoron Nice, which was in the picture circulating.

“I told my friend about it and she introduced me to a rights activist. Some people may question me for speaking out now, but I am speaking out because of the girl. That man must not be freed because he is responsible for what happened.”