I didn’t report Bamise’s rape by passengers due to fear

A driver of the Lagos State Bus Rapid Transport services, Andrew Nice Omininikoron, has testified that he failed to report the incident of his passenger, Oluwabamise Ayanwola, allegedly being raped by three male passengers and thrown off his bus afterwards.

He revealed this before Justice Sherifat Sonaike of the Lagos State High Court, TBS annex, on Monday during cross-examination which was handled by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Babajide Martins.

On Thursday, October 17, Andrew Nice opened his defence and was led in evidence
by his counsel, Abayomi Omotubora, where he told the court that it was three male passengers who boarded his bus after official hours that raped Miss Ayanwola and threw her off the vehicle.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, The defendant who’s being a driver with the Lagos Bus Services Ltd. (LBSL) Since September 2021 was asked for the protocol at the company for drivers whenever an incident happens while on duty. He said that drivers are mandated to always call the office to report any case and that such incident must be formally reported to the depot manager upon return to the office. But on that day, he told the court that he didn’t File any report out of fear of getting into trouble with his boss. He said he picked up Bamise and the other passengers after officially hours, when he was supposed to return the bus to the shed at Oshodi and not carry anymore passenger.

“The only problem I have had in my 20 years of driving was on Feb 26, with Bamise. I was afraid, so I packed the bus that day and left without telling anyone.

Q: When you came back to work on Monday, did you make a formal complaint or complain to anyone?

A: No, I was afraid.

Q: When you were called by your boss for an explanation over the incident, you disappeared. yes or no?

A: Yes, I was afraid because I thought they had gone to bring the police to arrest me.”

The defendant also said the bus he rode that day and on the previous incidents, as alleged, had no CCTV facilities to record what truly happened.

Earlier on the day, he told the court that he was tortured severally by DSS officials upon his arrest and interrogation, which he said continued when he was transferred to the State Criminal investigation department, Panti. But, during cross examination, he said he didn’t file a complaint to the DSS director or the Inspector general of police over the torture claims. He also identified his signature on the statement purported to have been made by him during police custody.

Andrew Nice was arraigned in March 2022 on four counts bordering on alleged rape, conspiracy and murder of the twenty-two year old fashion designer on February 26, 2022, on the Lekki-Ajah Conservation expressway.

He is said to have conspired with others now at large and forcefully had sexual intercourse with the fashion designer after which he murdered her. Andrew Nice is also being charged for allegedly sexually assaulting two other women previously, and has pleaded not guilty to all the offences.

Further hearing is fixed for Nov. 29.