It is thought-provoking that a posthumous birthday celebration triggered questions about murder and government compensation because the death was connected to government-related operations.
The family of Bamise Ayanwola marked her birthday on November 30, seven months after her killer was sentenced to death. Her sister, Damilola, was reported saying, “We only have judgment, and for justice to be served, they must at least compensate my family. Bamise was killed inside the government’s own property, and a government worker also did the evil to her.”
She argued that her parents “deserve compensation after everything they have suffered emotionally.” They “cried almost every day,” she said, adding, “Two of my elder sisters now battle high blood pressure. I also had to undergo a brain scan after breaking down from stress.”
“They only promised justice, and we appreciate that. But justice is not complete without compensation,” she said.
Justice Serifat Sonaike of the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square Annexe, on May 2, sentenced a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominikoron, to death by hanging for the murder of 22-year-old Bamise Ayanwola in February 2022. She was a fashion designer found dead “in a naked state” on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island, nine days after she was declared missing after she boarded a BRT vehicle.
The shocking case of rape and murder gripped public attention from the beginning till the verdict was delivered. Ayanwola was going to Oshodi from Ajah, and was said to have observed that she was the only passenger in the bus and the driver was not picking up other people on the route. She was suspicious and fearful, and was said to have sent voice notes to her friend, describing her situation. Information she had provided helped in locating the bus and the driver after she was declared missing.
Justice Sonaike said she “died from severe cerebral injury and blunt force trauma, and his actions and inactions led to her death.” The judge also said there was proof of a rape attempt and “the resultant death must have ensued when she resisted the defendant.” She noted that Ominikoron “admitted he was alone with her in the bus and where her body was dropped and failed to return to the place to help her and ran away to another state without reporting the case.”
The driver, said to be 47 at the time of the incident, was on the run when he was arrested in Ososa, Ogun State. He said some gunmen had taken Ayanwola away after forcing him to stop around Carter Bridge, Lagos. “I picked her from Chevron and I picked the other three guys at Agungi; when those guys showed me a gun as I was driving, fear came over me, so whatever they asked me to do, I did,” he narrated after his arrest. He said they ordered him to stop on Carter Bridge, asked him to open the door and “they started dragging her. I saw her crying for help but I was helpless. When the issue happened, I ran away because I was afraid.”
In addition to the death sentence for Ayanwola’s murder, the court also found him guilty of rape involving one Nneka Maryjane Ozezulu and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The incident happened in November 2021. He was also found guilty of sexual assault on one Victoria Anoke and sentenced to three years imprisonment. The incident occurred in December 2021.
Justice Sonaike noted that the rape incidents occurred within three months, describing him as a “serial rapist who took advantage of his position.” Indeed, she further noted that there might be other rape victims “who for fear or shame failed to come forward and give evidence against the defendant.”
It is disturbing that the incidents were linked to Ominikoron’s work as a driver of a government-owned bus. Importantly, his trial raised serious questions about public transportation security.
Notably, during the trial, Ominikoron had explained that when BRT drivers pick up passengers illegally after their official hours, they usually tell them to sit at the back of the bus so that monitoring officials would not see them in the bus and sanction the drivers. According to him, this practice is called ‘Korokpe.’ This was the context when he picked up Ayanwola on February 26, 2022, around 7pm, near the Conservation Centre, Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Lagos.
It is commendable that the state government ensured his prosecution. It is significant that the judge described the case as “an eye-opener for everyone.” The authorities were expected to reassure the public by reviewing the driver recruitment process and bus monitoring system to ensure passenger safety at all times.
On the question of compensation raised by Bamise Ayanwola’s family, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, was reported saying the Ministry of Justice would be consulted to determine if the court had ordered compensation.
His words: “The unfortunate incident was a legal matter handled by the Ministry of Justice. I will need to talk to the Ministry and get information about whether there was a pronouncement for compensation.
“However, the state ensured that the criminal was brought to book, and he was given the sentence of death.”
Is the commissioner suggesting that the state government is unwilling to consider paying compensation based on empathy? Surely, there is a place for empathy in this matter.
It is noteworthy that rights groups are calling for a standard compensation framework for casualties in such contexts. Where such systemic support is lacking, the affected persons may well need to seek judicial intervention.
Indeed, there is some merit in the argument that compensation in such cases should not necessarily be court-ordered or come from private charity. However, such reasoning seems reasonable only in the context of empathetic governance.
What can be observed from this case is that a government with a human face may lack a human heart.
