Crimes

Murder in Lagos: Police arrest fleeing BRT driver

The operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested the driver of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus in which a 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwole was allegedly kidnapped.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, made this known in a statement on Monday.

Ajisebutu stated that the dead body of the lady, who got missing in transit while onboard the BRT bus, has been found.

The police spokesperson disclosed that the abductors of Ayanwole dumped her remains on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community.

Ajisebutu, in a statement titled, ‘Oluwabamise Ayanwole, Missing BRT Passenger Found Dead In Lagos’, said the killers of the 22-year-old would face justice.

He stated that the corpse of Ayanwole has been deposited at the morgue of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.

Ajisebutu added: “The bereaved family has been contacted and family members have identified the corpse as that of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, the lady earlier declared missing.

“The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, fdc, mnim, psc, is saddened by this incident and, therefore, expresses, on behalf of the management, officers and men of the command, his heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.

“Notwithstanding the death of Oluwabamise, the detectives handling the case would not rest on their oars until her killers are found.

“We, therefore, assure the concerned public and the bereaved family that we are closing on on the culprits and we are sure that soon the suspects would be arrested and made to face justice for this murderous act.

“While soliciting the cooperation of all and sundry, we once again appeal to anyone with additional information that could help the police in arresting the suspects to kindly oblige us. Such information, we assure, will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” the police spokesperson stated.

22-year-old Ayanwole was reported to have got missing while returning to Sango Ota, Ogun State, from Ajah in Lagos State on February 26, 2022, when she boarded a BRT bus with number 240257 going to Oshodi at about 7pm at Chevron Bus-Stop.

It was gathered that the victim, who worked as a Fashion Designer at Chevron Estate in Ajah, spent her weekends in Ota, Ogun State, with her sister.

According to her mother, Oluwabamise, who sensed danger after the BRT bus did not pick any other passenger at subsequent bus stops, engaged a friend using voice notes on her phone.

The voice notes showed that the bus driver said he liked Oluwabamise and asked for her name and other details.

She was said to have told her friend to pray for her as she became suspicious of the bus driver.

It was further gathered Oluwabamise sent a video to her friend showing how dark it was in the bus.

“There are three men and one woman in the bus. The woman is sitting at the back. Please pray for me,” the 22-year-old lady was said to have told her friend.

The Star