“Missing” Lagos BRT passenger is dead – Police

The 22-year-old lady, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, who got missing in transit on Feb. 26 while on a BRT bus in Lagos has been found dead.

Police spokesman in Lagos State, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said in a statement issued in Lagos on Monday that Oluwabamise’s corpse was found on Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community on the Lagos Island.

“The corpse has been deposited at the morgue of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.

“The bereaved family has been contacted and family members have identified the corpse as that of Oluwabamise, the lady earlier declared missing,’’ he stated.

Ajisebutu added that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, was saddened by the incident.

“He expresses his heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family on behalf of the management, officers, and men of the command,’’ Ajisebutu added.

He stated also that detectives handling the case of Oluwabamise would not rest on their oars until her killers were found.

“We assure the concerned public and the bereaved family that we are closing in on the culprits.

“We are sure that soon the suspects would be arrested and made to face justice for this murderous act.’’ he stated.

He appealed to anyone with additional information that could help in arresting the suspects to kindly send the same to the police.

“Such information, we assure you, will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

“The Command is ever-determined and committed to the protection of lives and property of residents in the state and has strengthened its security apparatus to prevent a recurrence of this ugly, disturbing incident,’’ Ajisebutu added.

Oluwabamise worked as a Fashion Designer at Chevron Estate, Ajah, and spent weekends at Ota, Ogun State, with her sister.

She was returning to Ota from Ajah on Saturday, Feb. 26 when she boarded a BRT bus with number 240257 going to Oshodi at about 7 p.m. at Chevron Bus-Stop.

Sensing danger as the bus did not pick any other passenger at subsequent bus stops, Oluwabamise 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 told her friend to pray for her as she became suspicious of the bus driver and in response, the friend told her to alight at Oworonsoki bus stop, way before Oshodi bus stop.

Oluwabamise also sent a video to her friend showing how dark it was in the bus and said: “there are three men and one woman in the bus. The woman is sitting at the back. That’s the number of the bus in case. Please pray for me.’’

That was the last that was heard of Oluwabamise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Oluwabamise’s family held a meeting with the Lagos Bus Service Ltd. (LBSL), operators of BRT on Wednesday, March 2, and the latter assured that efforts were being made to track down the driver.

It was learned that the driver of the bus had not been seen and also the guarantor was nowhere to be found.

Mr Johnson Omilana, a family member who reported at Akinpelu Police Station said Oluwabamise had not been seen since she left Ajah on Saturday, Feb. 26.

He said the family met with the BRT general manager and about three other management staff who said the matter was being shared on social media and that might jeopardise police investigation.

The BRT management also told the family members that it was working with the police to make sure the missing girl was rescued.

The BRT management also told Oluwabamise’s family members that it does not employ drivers directly and that the consultants involved were being sanctioned because of the incident.