A police witness in the trial of Andrew Ominnikoron, a BRT driver, on Thursday testified that the body of Bamise Ayanwola was thrown from a moving bus.

The suspect is accused of rape and murder of Ms Ayanwola, a 22-year-old fashion designer in February inside a BRT bus.

Following the incident, another victim also appeared in court to accuse him of rape.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, at a Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Isibor Amos, a police officer, said he was alerted on February 26, about a corpse along with the Ogogoro village, leading to Oyingbo on Carter bridge.

“I was alerted on 26th of February, 2022 that people were gathered on the Express with someone lying down there. On getting there, I saw a female lifeless body,” he told the court.

“I gathered that a moving vehicle had thrown something down, and when the observers came close, they saw that it was a lifeless body. They tried to revive her with sachet water but she did not survive it.”

Earlier, in the proceeding, the defence lawyer, P.O Idogwu, who stood in for the lead lawyer, Ayobami Omotubora, mentioned that he was new to the case and pleaded that the court adjourn to a new date.

The judge, Sherifat Sonaike, however, overruled the application stating that the case will not be further delayed by the lawyer.

Mr Omotubora’s absence has caused the judge to adjourn the matter twice.

Another witness, Segun Agbe, a social worker with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Response Team (DSVRT) mentioned that he was assigned to the case on March 12, 2022.

Mr Agbe narrated how he visited one of the victims, Maryjane Odezelu, in her house, where she told him of how she was sexually abused by the defendant before visiting the Ajah police station to report the matter.

“I was assigned on this case on the 12th of March, 2022. I went to Miss Mary Jane, to talk to her about the incident and she narrated to us how everything happened on the bus and how the bus driver sexually abused and tore her clothes.”

“Thereafter, we visited the Ajah Police Station to incident the matter. CSP Oseni and two other officers came to meet us.”

“When we arrived at Ajah Police Station, Maryjane, made (gave) her statement.”

The judge adjourned till July 7, for the continuation of the trial.

By Oluwakemi Adelagun