News Thumb Magazine ..news reporting..
he trial of Andrew Ominnikoron, the driver, of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) who allegedly raped and murdered a 22-year-old fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, was stalled due to the absence of his lawyer Abayomi Omotubora.
On the last adjourned date on June 1, 2022, the trial also didn’t go on as the defendant was not produced in court, due to the ban of commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had on May 18, 2022, announced a total ban on the operations of commercial motorcycles in six local government areas in the state with effect from June 1, 2022.
Following the development and the planned protest by the Okada riders, the Controller of Prisons Adebisi Adewale gave a directive for a temporary suspension of conveying inmates to various courts in the state due to intelligence and security reports of possible breakdown of law and order.
However, the Director of Public Prosecution DPP, Dr Babajide Martins, has said “I don’t think the defendant’s counsel 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 up 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.”
Following the development, Justice Sonaike, adjourned the case to June 7 and 9, for the continuation of trial.
The judge said, ” In the circumstances, the matter is hereby adjourned to June 7 and 9, as earlier slated and the prosecution is hereby directed to inform the defence counsel and the court registrar directed to inform the prisons to produce the defendant on the next adjourned day”.
