CDHR Demands Swift Justice for Bamise Ayanwola: Lagos State Judiciary Urged to Expedite Case

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has raised serious concerns over the prolonged delay in the trial of those responsible for the murder of 22-year-old fashion designer Bamise Ayanwola, who was tragically killed on February 26, 2022, inside a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus in Lagos.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In an open letter addressed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday, the CDHR highlighted the alarming fact that 914 days have passed since Bamise’s brutal murder, yet justice remains elusive. The organization criticized the slow pace of the investigation and prosecution, calling for urgent and decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Signed by State Chairman Kehinde Adeoye and Secretary Adewunmi Adesina, the letter emphasized the need to identify and prosecute the four other individuals present in the bus at the time of the murder. The CDHR described the delay in the case as unacceptable and urged the governor to ensure that justice is served swiftly for Bamise and her grieving family.

“Today, Wednesday, August 28, 2024, marks exactly 914 days since Bamise was murdered,” the letter stated. “The case has been in court since March 2022, but it has continually suffered a series of unnecessary adjournments. It is disheartening to see similar cases that occurred after Bamise’s murder, such as the killing of an Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) student and the shooting of a pregnant lawyer by a trigger-happy policeman, have already been resolved with judgments delivered. The question now is: what is delaying the murder case of Bamise Ayanwola?”

The organization also revealed that they had previously written to the Lagos State Judiciary in September 2022, urging for a speedy trial, but no significant progress has been made. On July 11, 2023, exactly 500 days after Bamise’s murder, they wrote another protest letter to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. Despite assurances that the matter would be treated as one of urgent importance, no action has been taken.

The CDHR reminded the governor of the constitutional duty to ensure that Bamise’s killers are brought to justice, citing Chapter 4, Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees the right to life and prohibits unlawful killings. The organization stressed that the Lagos State Judiciary must live up to its reputation as “the last hope of the common man.”

“Friday, November 22, 2024, will mark 1,000 days since Bamise Ayanwola was murdered. If by that date, judgment in the case remains elusive, the Lagos State Judiciary risks earning the unenviable title of a judiciary that sat on a murder case for over 1,000 days. Justice delayed is justice denied,” the letter continued.

The group also demanded the production of Bamise’s Android phone, which she used to send vital information to a friend while inside the BRT bus, leading to the arrest of the primary suspect, BRT bus driver Andrew Nice Ominikoron. They called for confirmation that Ominikoron remains in custody, expressing concerns over the lack of transparency in the case.

In their final appeal, the CDHR reminded the governor that Bamise had trusted the Lagos State Government-owned BRT as a safe mode of transport, only to meet her untimely death inside one of its buses. The organization urged the government to take swift action to restore public confidence in the safety of the city’s public transportation system.

“Bamise would have turned 24 on Saturday, November 30, 2024, had her life not been cruelly cut short. The ball is now in the court of the Lagos State Government to ensure justice is served,” the group concluded.