The family of Ayanwola Oluwabamise, the 22-year-old fashion designer found dead in Lagos after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), has applied to Lagos State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, for fiat to prosecute the principal suspect, Andrew Nice Ominikoron, the bus driver.
The request comes two months after Two months after Oluwabamise was found dead after boarding the from Chevron, Victoria Island en route to Oshodi on February 26, 2022.
They spoke on Thursday, during a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos.
The Ayanwolas through their representatives, Titilayo Ayanwola (the deceased’s elder sister) and Pelumi Abegunde (the deceased’s elder sister), disclosed that the application was made through a former chairman, Nigerian Bar association, Ikeja Branch and Chairman, Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association RAMINBA, Adesina Ogunlana who had been instructed to seek and obtain the fiat from the Attorney General.
According to them, Barrister Adesina will now act as Counsel to the family and will be instructed from time to time.
Addressing the conference, Titilayo expressed worries that since her sister was murdered, the state government is yet to release the result of the autopsy report which was conducted on her over a month ago.
She called on the State government to fish out Andrew’s accomplices who were with him on the bus at the time the dastardly act was committed.
Titilayo entertained the fear that the family may not get justice with the way and manner the matter is being handled by the State government. ‘’I don’t think we have a good government in this country because if we do, they would have fished out the accomplices of the principal suspects that killed my sister. This is why we have written Barrister Ogunlana to help us out,
‘’From the way the events are unfolding, it looks like they have tutored Andrew on what to say and that is exactly what he says anytime the matter comes up.
One thing I want Nigerians to know is that justice must be served on him and his accomplices,’’ She said.
Also speaking, Abegunde alleged that there is a cover-up judging from the way things are unfolding on the part of the state government, ‘’Why is it that it is only Andrew that has been arrested so far? They have sent us some stuff and when we looked at them, they did not reflect the absolute thing that took place in that vehicle which means there is a cover-up somewhere.
‘’Having waited for some time, we feel they should be able to arrest all other suspects that partook in the heinous crime.
‘’It is true that Mr Governor made a phone call to the family but this does not suffice. After we made a lot of noise, the governor’s wife visited our family and made promises but none was fulfilled.
‘’We tendered some evidence to the government to back up our claims but by the time it responded to prove that a lot has been done, lo and behold, we discovered that nothing has been actually done and everything has centred on the fact that Andrew Ominikoron is simply a serial rapist. A serial rapist cannot use a government vehicle to perform the crime. Why should Lagos Bus Services Limited be a witness in this matter? I was with my parents three days ago and both of them were down while my father had Intravenous Fluids on him,’’
In his submission, Adesina said, ”as we may have known, the gory incident happened on February 26, 2022, and we found out that the authorities concerned which are Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police have been working but their efforts are not satisfactory to our expectations and this has necessitated this press conference because the family is frustrated by the effort of the officials of the bus service,’’
He added that the family is uncomfortable with the approach of the government and has therefore approached RAMINBA to seek permission from Lagos State Government to prosecute the matter.
‘’Therefore, a letter has been sent to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Moyosore Onigbnajo SAN, to prosecute the criminal charge preferred against the principal suspect presently before Hon Justice Serifat Sonaike of the Lagos High Court.
‘’The family has formally expressed their wish to have a more independent body to conduct the prosecution, in the instances of the matter,’’
Speaking with Vanguard shortly after the press conference, another member of the family, Mr James Joel said since necessary evidence have been made available to the government it ought to have fished out the accomplices.