The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has voiced deep concerns over the prolonged delay in the trial concerning the murder of 22-year-old fashion designer Bamise Ayanwola in Lagos. In an open letter addressed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday, the organization highlighted that it has now been 914 days since Bamise was brutally killed on February 26, 2022, inside a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus.
The CDHR criticized the slow pace of the investigation and prosecution, urging the authorities to take decisive action. The group called for the identification, naming, and prosecution of the four other individuals present in the bus at the time of the murder. The letter, signed by the CDHR’s State Chairman, Kehinde Adeoye, and Secretary, Adewunmi Adesina, emphasized the urgency of bringing those responsible to justice.
The organization’s open letter underscored the unacceptable nature of the delay in delivering justice for Ayanwola and her family. “Today, Wednesday 28 August, 2024, marks exactly 914 days since Bamise was murdered. The case has been in court since March 2022. CDHR has been monitoring the case and has been present in court on many occasions, but it is disheartening that the case has repeatedly suffered unnecessary adjournments.”
The CDHR also compared Bamise’s case to other recent murder cases that have seen swifter resolutions. They pointed to the case of an Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) master’s degree student murdered in Ile-Ife in July 2022, for which the Osun State Judiciary has already delivered a judgment. Similarly, the group referenced the case of a pregnant lawyer, Barr. Bolanle Raheem, who was shot by a police officer in Ajah, Lagos State, noting that judgment has also been given in that case.
The organization questioned why Bamise’s case, which predates these other cases, has yet to reach a conclusion. They noted that they had previously written to the Head of the Lagos State Judiciary in September 2022 regarding the delay in prosecution and were assured that the case would be expedited, but no progress has been made. Additionally, on July 11, 2023—500 days after Bamise’s murder—the CDHR wrote a protest letter to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who acknowledged the issue as a “Matter of Urgent Importance,” yet no action has been taken.
The CDHR reminded Governor Sanwo-Olu of the constitutional duty of the state to uphold the right to life as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They argued that since no court ordered the termination of Bamise’s life, the state must ensure that her killers are brought to justice.
The organization also called on the Lagos State Judiciary, which prides itself as “the last hope of the common man,” to prove its commitment to justice. They warned that if the case remains unresolved by Friday, November 22, 2024—1,000 days after Bamise’s murder—the judiciary will be seen as having failed to deliver justice in a timely manner.
Further demands from the CDHR included the production of the Android phone belonging to Bamise, which she used to send vital information to her friend while inside the BRT bus, leading to the arrest of the BRT bus driver, Andrew Nice Ominikoron. The group also called on the authorities to confirm whether Ominikoron remains in prison custody.
The letter concluded with a poignant reminder that Bamise might still be alive had she not boarded the BRT bus operated by Lagos Bus Services Ltd (LBSL), a service she believed to be safer than other options. The organization urged the Lagos State Government to take the necessary steps to deliver justice, emphasizing that Bamise would have turned 24 on Saturday, November 30, 2024, if her life had not been tragically cut short.
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