The scheduled trial of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominnikoron, for alleged sexual assault and murder of a 22- year-old fashion designer,  Oluwabamise Ayanwole, was yesterday stalled due to the ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, in parts of Lagos.
    
Justice Sherifat Shonaike of a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) had at the last adjourned date, fixed yesterday for continuation of trial, but officials of Nigerian Correctional Service could not bring the defendant to court for security reasons related to the ban on commercial motorcyclists.
   
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had on May 18, 2022, announced a total ban on the operations of commercial motorcycles in six local councils in the state with effect from yesterday, June 1, 2022
   
Following the development and the reported planned protest by Okada operators, the Controller of Prisons, Adebisi Adewale, directed a temporary suspension on transportation of inmates to various courts in the state due to intelligence and security reports of possible breakdown of law and order during the protest.
   
Consequently, when the case was called, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, told the court that the Correctional service did not bring inmates to court due to security reasons over the Okada ban.
  
“ I don’t think the defendant’s counsel, Mr. Abayomi Omotubora, is here and the Correctional service did not bring inmates to court because of the Okada ban and security reasons, but we have three witnesses in court.
  
“The second prosecution witness (PW2), who needs to finish his evidence, and two other witnesses are in court. I humbly request that today’s date be vacated and adjourned to other dates that have already been fixed,” Omotubora told the court.
  
Consequently, Justice Sonaike adjourned to June 7 and 9 for further trial.
   
The judge directed counsel and the court registrar to inform officials of the Correctional centre to produce the defendant on the next adjourned day.
   
At the last proceeding on May 10, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Kayode Aluko, one of the Fleet Operational Managers at the Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL), had narrated how Ominnikoron, ran away after they got information of how he allegedly sexually abused and murdered Ayanwole.
    
Aluko told the court that he had given an instruction to his officers who received the information of the incident, to inform the defendant to see him for interrogation on a missing person in his bus.
  
The witness told the court in his evidence, that the defendant was employed in September 2021 and that Ominnikoron informed the officer in his office that he was going to eat, but never returned.
   
Also, the witness gave details of how the defendant was employed by LBSL from an outsourcing company called Excel.

Aluko further told the court that the three rape incidents and murder of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, were never reported by the defendant, until February 28, after the deceased family reported the case.
   
Ominnikoron is facing a five-count charge, bordering on rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault, and murder preferred against him by Lagos State Government.
    
The defendant was alleged of having had sexual intercourse with Ayanwole, without her consent and murdered her at Lekki Conservation area of the state on February 26, 2022.
 
His offences contravene and punishable under Sections 411, 223, 260 and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
  
The 47-year-old defendant had pleaded not guilty to all the counts.