UPDATED: Court remands BRT driver for alleged murder, rape

A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos, on Friday ordered the remand of Andrew Omininikoron, a BRT driver, in the Ikoyi Custodial Centre for the alleged murder and rape of a 22-year-old lady, Oluwabamise Ayanwola.

Magistrate O.A. Salawu ordered that Mr Omininikoron, 47, be remanded for 30 days.

She held that the accused was to be remanded pending legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant is charged with conspiracy, murder, rape and misconduct with regards to corpses.

The charge was read to the defendant but his plea was not taken by the court.

The magistrate adjourned the case until April 11 for the DPP’s advice.

Earlier, the Officer in charge of the Legal Department at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yetunde Cardoso., said 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.

She said that Mr Omininikoron, who was on duty as a driver, raped Ms Ayanwola and pushed her out of the moving BRT bus.

The offence, she said, contravened the provisions of sections 411, 223, 260 and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

NAN reports that Sections 223 stipulates the death penalty for the offence of murder, 260 provides for life imprisonment for rape and 165 carries five years imprisonment for misconduct with regards to corpses.

(NAN)