Biola Adams-Odutayo, a Lagos resident charged with reckless driving causing the death of Adetunji Opaleye, co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Bumpa, faces seven-year jail time if convicted.
According to a statement from the police on Saturday, Ms Adams-Odutayo was arraigned at the Lagos State High Court in Tinubu, Lagos State, on two counts on 12 March, days after she was discharged from the hospital following the accident.
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The accident, which reportedly led to Mr Opayele’s death, occurred at about 10.20 p.m. on 4 March, at 1004 Housing Estate entrance gate, taffic ligt junction, along Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Isiand, Lagos.
Ms Adams-Odutayo, driving onto the expressway in her Ford Edge SUV with number plate LND 418 JR without checking for oncoming traffic, reportedly crashed into Mr Opaleye.
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A copy of the indictment shared on X by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Command of the Nigerian police, Ben Hundeyin, showed that the driver was charged under the state’s traffic law.
The first count alleged that Ms Adams-Odutayo drove on the highway “in an inconsiderable manner without due care and attention to other person(s) using the highway,” when the accident occurred.
The police said the act constituted an offence under Section 50(1) of the Road Traffic Laws of Lagos State, 2018.
The second count accused her of driving “in a reckless and careless manner without due care and attention to other road users and caused the death of one Tunji Opaleye, male, aged 32 years.”
The police said the offence violated section 52 of the same Lagos State’s Road Traffic Law .
Section 50(1) of the law, under which the first count was brought, criminalises reckless or dangerous driving. The provision prescribes a penalty of N50,000 fine upon conviction for any person who drives on a highway without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for others. According to the law, a subsequent conviction attracts a N100,000 fine or three months in jail, or both.
Life cut short
Born in Lagos on 20 December 1992, Mr Opayele attended Lagos State Model College Meiran before studying law at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
However, his passion for technology led him to become a software engineer.
Before co-founding Bumpa, Mr Opayele worked in software development roles in Nigeria and the United States.
He was a former employee of financial services firm E-Settlement and later founded HostCabal, a web hosting company.
Bumpa, which he co-founded, automates retail operations for small businesses. In 2022, the startup secured $4 million in seed funding and has since facilitated over N160 billion in transactions for 60,000 SMEs.
Aftermath of the crash
Witnesses alleged that Ms Adams-Odutayo, a healthcare professional and head of health at an insurance brokerage firm, refused to exit her vehicle or assist Mr Opayele.
A bystander claimed she avoided contact with him to prevent “blood from staining her car.”
Bystanders struggled to get help as multiple vehicles refused to stop. An Uber driver eventually agreed to transport Mr Opayele, but two hospitals reportedly denied him treatment.
In a final attempt, witnesses forced Ms Adams-Odutayo to accompany them to another hospital.
Mr Opayele was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
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Controversy
Following the accident, Ms Adams-Odutayo allegedly sought medical attention for herself at the hospital and later attempted to flee.
Since her arrest, her family has reportedly used personal connections to influence the case, with the police charging her only with reckless driving.
She was detained for a single night before securing bail set at N1 million with two sureties, which she met the same day.
Her swift release has fueled public criticism, with Mr Opayele’s family, friends, and colleagues calling for stricter legal action.
