A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, on Thursday, reserved judgment in the case against a Lagos State Bus Rapid Transit driver, Andrew Ominikoron, accused of raping and murdering a 22-year-old fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwola, in 2022.

Justice Sherifat Sonaike fixed May 2, 2025, for the judgment after the prosecution and the defence adopted their final written addresses.

Defence counsel, Abayomi Omotubora, while adopting the final written address, argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove Ominikoron’s guilt.

He insisted that none of the testimonies from the nine prosecution witnesses directly linked the defendant’s actions to Ayanwola’s death.

Omotubora also dismissed a voice note reportedly sent by the deceased to her friend as inadmissible hearsay, stating that the prosecution failed to call the friend as a witness.

Challenging the prosecution’s reliance on the “last-seen” doctrine, the defence counsel stated that mere suspicion is not enough for a conviction without strong circumstantial evidence.

He also argued that the testimony of a prosecution witness, who alleged she was a previous rape victim of the defendant, required corroboration.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, in his final address, urged the court to convict the defendant and pronounce him guilty based on the testimonies of prosecution witnesses three, seven, and eight.

Martins stated that the corroboration is not required in rape cases under Nigerian law.

He pointed out that the defendant was last seen with Ayanwola and fled to Ososa, Sagamu, Ogun State, instead of reporting to the police an action he described as suspicious.

Martins added that Ominikoron was later arrested by the Department of State Services in 2022.

Regarding the voice note from the deceased, Martins cited Section 34 of the Nigerian Evidence Act, which allows the court to evaluate and assign probative value to dying declarations.

Ominikoron is facing four counts bordering on conspiracy, rape, and murder preferred against him, by the Lagos State government.

He was arraigned in March 2022, before the court over the rape and murder of his passenger, on February 26, 2022, at the Lekki-Ajah Expressway.

The prosecution told the court that Ominikoron conspired with others now at large to rape and murder his 22-year-old passenger.

The prosecution said the defendant had sexual intercourse with Ayanwole, without her consent, and murdered her, at about 7 p.m., between Lekki-Ajah Expressway and Carter Bridge, on February 26, 2022.

According to the prosecution the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

However, Ominnikoron pleaded not guilty, to the charges against him.

Operatives of the Ekiti State Amotekun Corps have arrested a 25-year-old man, Ojo Adewunmi, for allegedly attempting to rape a 19-year-old girl.

The Ekiti Amotekun Head of Communications, Abiodun Adeleye, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.

Adeleye said Adewunmi was apprehended on Tuesday in Ilawe Ekiti by operatives of the corps from the Ekiti South West Local Government Command while allegedly trying to assault the girl.

He explained that the girl, who was shouting for help, was rescued by Amotekun operatives who arrived at the scene and thwarted the suspect’s attempt.

Adeleye stated, “The Amotekun officers who arrested the suspect reported that the victim was locked indoors by the suspect to sexually assault her. However, his attempt was foiled upon the arrival of the operatives.

“The girl narrated her ordeal, explaining how she felt helpless and hopeless after screaming until the officers of the corps arrived to assist her.”

The suspect has been handed over to the Ilawe Ekiti Police Division for further investigation and possible prosecution.

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The son of a landlord simply identified as Junior has taken to his heels after his attempt to allegedly rape the 15-year-old daughter of his tenant in Elele community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State failed.

TheNigerian Metro learnt that Junior had approached the siblings of his tenant, aged eight and 15 years respectively last Friday to enquire if their father was coming back home that night.

The unsuspecting children informed him that their father would not be back that night.

A source told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity that at about 1 am the next day (Saturday night), Junior allegedly broke into the house of the tenant and reached for the 15-year-old who was lying down with her siblings.

The source said, “He started romancing her and removing her underwear. At this point, the girl woke up when she felt a hand touching her underwear and grabbed Junior’s hand.

“But Junior punched her and escaped through the window.”

The source who pleaded anonymity in order not to be identified said the teenage girl quickly put on her torchlight and saw that the fleeing man was the landlord’s son and raised an alarm that attracted neighbours to the scene.

Speaking on the incident, the father of the teenager, Felix, said, “I have reported the matter to the Elele Police Division. He (Junior) broke into my house at midnight in my absence and made attempts to rape my daughter who is 15 years old.

“He ran away after what he did because we have not seen him after that day.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she had yet to get a report of the incident, but promised to find out and get back to our correspondent.

She had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday afternoon.

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The administrator, Office of Edo State First Lady, Mrs Edesili Anani, has pledged that justice would be served for a 12-year-old girl, Esther Friday, who was allegedly gang-raped by five men on Christmas Eve, December 24.

The heinous crime happened in Igiafodio Awuyemi, Okpella, Etsako East local government area.

Speaking during a visit to the victim at the Daisy Ehainere Danjuma Centre, Mrs Anani vowed that the perpetrators would be punished according to the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law.

“The Edo State government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that these perpetrators are brought to book. Section 4 of the VAP Law defines rape, while Section 5 outlines the punishment. Edo State has zero tolerance for any form of violence, and we are standing firmly with the victim,” she stated.

Mrs Anani condemned the perpetrators, who reportedly filmed the act and circulated the video on social media, adding that the evidence strengthens the case against them.

“The video footage makes it impossible for anyone to cover up this crime. The law will take its course, and these individuals will be dealt with decisively,” she added.

She further commended the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, His Royal Highness, Lukeman Akemokue, and his wife, Blessing for their swift action in bringing the case to light and ensuring that both the victim and her mother were relocated to Benin City for safety and medical care due to threats against their lives.

“I really want to commend your Highness. He did a fantastic work with his wife. It happened in his community, Okpella Kingdom; they didn’t hide it. Immediately he saw the videos, he took it up and I want to say that when things like these happen, speak out; speak out for somebody else because tomorrow it could be your own child,” she advised.

On his part, the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, Akemokue, thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Office of the First Lady for a fantastic job and proactive response, noting that the Okpella community would continue to support the administration.

Mrs Anani was also at the Edo State Police headquarters with the victim and other stakeholders. She commended the Police for responding promptly and appealed that the little girl gets justice.

In his response, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Umoru Ozigi, commended Mrs Anani for the visit, assuring that Esther would get justice, disclosing that three persons are currently in police custody in connection with the crime.

 

 

The Police Command in Rivers State has confirmed the arrest of a couple for allegedly raping and beating a 13-year-old girl in their residence in Port Harcourt.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

NAN reports that the wife was said to have stripped the teenager and inserted pepper into her private part after accusing her of having sexual intercourse with her husband.

Iringe-Koko stated that the suspects had been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department for investigation and possible prosecution.

Goodness, the mother of the teenager, whose full name was withheld to avoid stigmatisation, recounted the incident to NAN.

A resident of Rupokwu town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Goodness, revealed that the assault on her daughter occurred on the evening of December 29, 2024.

She explained that when she was alerted by neighbours about the attack on her daughter by a neighbour, she immediately closed her shop and rushed home.

“Before I got home, neighbours had already rescued my daughter from the wife’s assault.

“My daughter was still writhing in pain from the beating and the pepper applied to her body and private area,” she said.

Goodness said that after her daughter felt relieved, she revealed that on December 25, 2024, a female neighbour, who is a friend of the wife took her to the house.

She said that on that fateful day, the man sent his wife and her friend on an errand, leaving the teenager alone with him in the house.

The distraught mother reported that after the two women had left the apartment, the man attacked her daughter and allegedly raped her multiple times, threatening her to remain silent.

“After he raped her, he told my daughter to leave his house.

“My daughter returned home afterwards but did not report what had transpired, probably due to the threat from the man,” she added.

Goodnews further stated that on December 29, 2024, the wife visited her shop and asked the teenager to follow her to her apartment and assist her with house chores.

“It was on getting there that she accused my daughter of sleeping with her husband, stripped her naked, poured pepper on her, and inserted the same in her vagina.

“She then dragged my daughter outside and flogged her mercilessly with a machete, while neighbours recorded the attack,” she said.

The teary mother demanded justice for her traumatised daughter.

NAN reports the couple spent the new year in custody while their children, aged four and two, had been placed in the care of relatives.

Meanwhile, Prince Wiro, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has condemned the alleged torture of the minor, calling it inhumane and barbaric.

“We have spoken with the teenager and observed the bruises and wounds on her body. We demand a thorough investigation by the police.

“The man must be held accountable for the allegations, while anyone else found responsible should be prosecuted,” Wiro said.

(NAN)