A prosecution witness, Superintendent of Police (SP) Goddy Ihende, in the ongoing trial of a Lagos Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominikoron, the alleged murder suspect of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, on Tuesday, told a Lagos High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square that the defendant always rapes his victims in secluded places.
The witness said that apart from the deceased, the defendant had attempted to rape one Doctor Victoria Anieke.
He said the incident happened on 29th December 2021, when the victim, who resides in Delta State, came to visit her parents and friend who resides in the Ketu and Ikorodu areas of the state respectively.
Ihende, the seventh prosecution witness, told Justice Sherifat Soniake that the modus operandi of the defendant was that he always carries his victims alone and goes to secluded places to rape them.
At the resumed hearing of the trial on Tuesday, the witness, who was led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution in Lagos State, Dr Babajed Martins, said he took over the defendant’s case on 7th March 2022, from the Department of State Service.
He said that when they got to the office at State Criminal Investigation Department Panti, the defendant narrated to him what happened on 26 February when a 22-year-old fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, boarded his bus.
He said ” I took the defendant to our office and asked him to narrate what exactly happened on 26 February. After his narration, I asked him to write it in a statement, he said he couldn’t write and asked us to assist him in writing the statement.
“Ominnikoron agreed picking up Bamise from Chevron Bus Stop at 7 pm and picked up two men at two bus stops after Chevron and one of them pull a gun at him and ordered him to drive towards Ebute-Ero and he said when they got there they all alighted from the bus and the two men started a fight.
“He said that he thought Bamise had gotten back into the bus when he drove off to their depot at 7up.
“I asked him why he didn’t report the case at a Police station or to his boss when he got to their depot, he said he was afraid and could not tell the company because he contravened the rule of not picking up passengers after 6 pm.
“He said the next day was his day off so he went to see his friend. As soon as I took his statement, I took him to my immediate boss, ASP Razak Oseni and he narrated exactly what he told me before my boss.
“My investigation of the defendant revealed that he takes his victims to secluded places, switches off the light inside the bus and then rapes them.
“On 29 March 2022, I travelled to Delta State and when I met Dr Anieke, I asked her how she got to know about the defendant, she said that it was on the internet and when she zoomed the picture of Bamise and the defendant, she discovered that he was the same driver that attempted to rape her.
“Before Bamise, he succeeded in raping another passenger MaryJane on 24 November 2021, ” the witness said.
Ominnikoron is facing a five-count charge bordering on rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault, and murder preferred against him by the Lagos State government.
The prosecution said that the defendant on 25 November 2021, allegedly raped a 29-year -old lady Maryjane Odezulu.
The incident took place at about 8 pm, at Lekki- Ajah Conservation Centre Lekki-Ajah Expressway Lagos.
The prosecution also told the court that Ominnikoron conspired with others, now at large, to rape and murdered his 22-year-old passenger.
It said that the defendant had sexual intercourse with Ayanwole without her consent and murdered her, at about 7 pm, between Lekki-Ajah Expressway and Carter bridge, on 26 February 2022.
The prosecution also alleged that the defendant and others, now at large, on 26 February 2022, unlawfully killed one Ayanwole by throwing her out of a moving bus between Lekki- Ajah Expressway and Cater bridge.
The defendant was further accused of sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman, Victoria Anieke, on 29 December 2021, between Ikorodu and the Mile 12 area of Lagos State.
According to the prosecutor, the offences committed are contrary to and punishable under Sections 411,223,260 and 165 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State 2015.
However, the 47-year-old defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
The witness also told the court that the statement of the defendant was recorded in a video.
Meanwhile, when the prosecution sought to tender the recorded video as evidence, the defence counsel, Abayomi Omotubora objected to the admissibility of the compact disc.
He said the statement of the defendant was not taken voluntarily and asked the court to conduct a trial-within-trial.
After listening to the argument of both counsel, Justice Sonaike adjourned till 31 October, for a trial-within-trial.
Earlier, the defence counsel, Omotubora had told the court that the defence wishes to recall the 2nd, 3rd and 4th witness for further cross-examination of the witnesses.
He told the court that they had filed an application dated 27 September seeking to have the three witnesses for further cross-examination.
On the last adjourned date 2 October, Bamise’s elder brother, Agbegunde Pelumi had told the court how the lower part of the deceased was damaged. adding that she was a virgin and was coming to his house on a surprise visit when she was killed.
He claimed that his sister was badly raped by two or three men when he saw her at the morgue.