Kemisola Oye
A driver of the Lagos staff bus who was involved in a collision with a train was earlier today arraigned before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly running into a moving train, causing grievous harm and involuntary manslaughter to the passengers.
Oluwaseun Osibanjo was arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter and grievous harm.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Babajide Martins, thereafter prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional facility.
Martins told the court that the defendant committed the offences on 9th March at 7.00 a.m. on Shogunle Level Crossing, Ikeja.
He submitted that the defendant ignored warning signals and ran into an oncoming train and negligently killed one Ore Oluwa Aina, Tolulope Emmanuel, Olayinka Rokosu, Ganiyat Salaudeen, Lasisi Isah and Victoria Dada.
The prosecution also said that the defendant inflicted grievous harm on Bolanle Ogunbunmi, Ayomide Shobowale, Sarah Adeleye, Abiola Olarewaju, Esther Ekundayo, Samuel Fagbola and Ismail Bakare.
Others were: Ayuib Arowoye, Rilwan Abdulazeez and Shiyanbola Murtala.
The defence counsel, Mr Lekan Egberongbe, however, prayed the court to remand the defendant in police custody, due to his health reasons.
“The defendant was brought from the Federal Medical Centre Ebute-Metta this morning, my lord. I plead with the court while we await the trial date to allow him to be remanded in police custody.“
Justice Oyindamola Ogala, while pointing out that the court did not have the medical report of the defendant, ordered that he be remanded at the appropriate custodial centre pending the filing and hearing of his bail application.
Justice Ogala adjourned the case till 26 May for the commencement of trial.
“The court does not have the power to remand the defendant in police custody.
“If the custodial centre is served with the necessary medical report of the defendant, he should be given proper medical attention,” Ogala directed. 
The prosecution, however, applied that the defendant be remanded and if there was a need for him to get medical attention, the correctional service would provide the same.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences contravened sections 244 and 245 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Eighteen-Eleven Media