TheCable

A prosecution witness in the rape and murder trial of Andrew Ominnikoron, a bus rapid transit (BRT) driver, has narrated how the “lower body part” of Oluwabamise Ayanwole was allegedly found “damaged”.

Ominnikoron is standing trial before a Lagos high court over the alleged rape and murder of Oluwabamise.

At the court sitting on Thursday, Oluwapelumi Ayanwole, the witness and brother to the deceased, told the court that his sister’s “lower body part” was covered in blood and “badly damaged”.

The witness said he found out about his sister’s alleged murder on February 28.

He said while the deceased was on the BRT, she exchanged voice notes with one of her friends, identified as Felicia.

“I was alarmed when the friend sent the voice notes they shared on WhatsApp,” he said.

He said the next Monday, he went to the BRT terminal three to report the matter but was directed to the Lagos Bus Service Ltd (LBSL).

“We were referred to two CSOs and they said that none of the drivers reported a case of a missing person,” he said.

“I asked to have access to their CCTV camera so that we could know what transpired in their vehicles.”

The witness told the court that the officials told him to get a police report to be able to access the CCTV camera.

He told the court that he was “badly treated” at the police division he went to and had to go back to the LBSL where one Aluko admitted that a bus was missing.

Ayanwole said he wrote a letter to the office of the state commissioner of transportation, Lagos state metropolitan area transport authority, and the state house of assembly.

He added that his family also reported the case at the Jakande police division where an official told them it was no longer a case of a missing person but a kidnap case.

“On March 7, someone said we should go and check Ebute-Ero police station. On getting there, we showed them a picture of my sister,” he added.

“I was told she died on the night of February 26 and the police took over the body.”

The witness said he found his sister’s body at a morgue and it was tagged “unknown”.

Describing “damage” to the “lower body part”, the witness said he saw traces of blood.

According to NAN, when Abayomi Omotubora, the defence counsel, asked the witness to explain what he meant by “damaged lower part”, he replied: “My sister was a virgin. Do you want me to describe how two to three men raped my sister? I will not do that.”

The trial was adjourned till October 25.