Who should be believed? There are two different versions regarding the state of the body of 22-year-old Bamise Ayanwole , a fashion designer found dead in Lagos some days after she was declared missing after she boarded a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle.
Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alabi told journalists that her body was not mutilated and all parts of her body were intact. He said he saw her body at the morgue and her family members who were also present saw the body.
But Damilola Titilayo Ayanwole, sister of the deceased, has another version, “This is a money ritual case,” she told journalists, adding, “They removed her private parts…They did not kill her before they cut her private parts.”
Which of these versions is true? Which one is false? Based on the circumstances of Bamise’s death, many people concluded that she was a victim of ritual killers. The driver of the BRT bus she boarded at Ajah, Lagos on the evening of February 26, leading to her disappearance and eventual discovery of her body, has been arrested.
Identified as 47-year-old Nice Andrew Omininikoron, the driver was on the run when he was arrested in Ososa, Ogun State. He said some gunmen had taken Bamise away after forcing him to stop around Carter Bridge.
“I picked her from Chevron and I picked the other three guys at Agbegi, when those guys showed me the weapon as I was driving, I couldn’t be myself anymore. Fear came over me, so whatever they asked me to do, I did,” he narrated.
“So when I followed that Carter Bridge, that overhead bridge, they told me to stop there. When they ordered me to stop, they asked me to open the door, when I opened the door, 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.”
There are questions he needs to answer, rough edges of his story that need to be smoothened. He has quite a lot of explaining to do.
Bamise 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.
The police need to get to the bottom of her tragic murder, and ensure that the perpetrators are punished. As investigation of the case continues, there should be clarity on what actually happened.