THE trial of Andrew Nice Ominikoron, a BRT driver accused of raping and murdering Oluwabamise Ayanwola, a 22-year-old fashion designer, continued yesterday in the Lagos High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS).
Prof. Sunday Soyemi, the pathologist who examined the deceased, testified that the late Ayanwola died as a result of severe craniocerebral injury caused by a blunt force trauma.
Soyemi, a professor at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) revealed this while appearing before trial judge Justice Sherifat Sonaike as the ninth and last prosecuting witness.
On Saturday, February 26, 2022, late Bamise Ayanwola went missing while returning to Ota from Ajah in a BRT vehicle.
The defendant, Andrew Nice Ominnikoron, a BRT driver, is facing a five-count accusation of rape, conspiracy, felony, and murder brought by the Lagos State Government against him.
According to the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the incident occurred at 7 p.m. between the Lekki-Ajah Conservation Centre and Cater Bridge.
The DPP also told the court that Andrew Nice colluded with others who are still at large to have sexual intercourse with his 22-year-old passenger, Bamise, without her consent, and then murdered her.
He added that the defendant and others who are still at large murdered Bamise by tossing her out of a moving bus at Cater Bridge after having sexual relations with her without her consent.
According to the prosecutor, the offenses committed are in violation of and punishable under Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Lagos State Criminal Laws of 2015.
Prof. Soyemi described the autopsy to the court during the proceedings yesterday, while being led in evidence by the DPP, Dr. Babajide Martins.
He said: “I observed a bruise on the left side of her forehead, another on the right temple just above her ear and a large bruise on the back of her skull. In addition, there was a bruise on the elbow region.
“Upon opening her up, there’s what we call subdural hematoma which means bleeding into the soft tissue covering the skull or bleeding into the brain. This was noticed on the frontal area as well as the back of the skull. Again, there was a fracture of the temporal bone, meaning the bone above the ear.”
“I checked for deep bruising, meaning ‘the bruises we will not be able to see under the skin unless it is removed. These deep bruises were found on both lower lips. The organs were essentially normal except the right ovary which has a cyst (Fluid Collection).”
This according to him, was an incidental finding which has nothing to do with death.
He went further to tell the court that, “Tiny samples were taken from all the organs and were sent to the laboratories. The samples were looked at under the microscope and no remarkable findings were seen.”
“I specifically took samples of the breast and uterus to check for pregnancy but nothing was found. In the light of both the external and internal findings, death was ascribed to severe craniocerebral injury, following a blunt force trauma”.
Prof. Shoyemi also told the court that during the examination, he took samples from the deceased for identification and another for toxicology, both of which were transferred to the Lagos State DNA forensic lab.
He emphasized that the interim report was given to CSP Oseni, the head of homicide at the State Criminal Investigation Department SCID, Panti, who was also present at the autopsy and gave the full report to the DPP.
During cross-examination by defence attorney Abayomi Omotubora, the witness affirmed to the court that the IPO gave all information regarding the deceased before to the autopsy.
He did, however, clarify that the information provided by the IPO was not the basis for Bamise’s death.
Following the cross-examination, Omotubora drew the court’s attention to a pending application dated September 21, 2023, to recall several of the prosecution’s witnesses.
“We have a pending application to recall some of the prosecution witnesses for the purpose of further cross-examination by the defence.”
Dr. Babajide Martins, in response to the defense, opposed the application to recall the witnesses.
After hearing both counsels’ arguments, Justice Sonaike postponed her decision for November 2, 2023.
