Sophia Michaels
Bamise Ayanwola
The Lagos State House of Assembly disclosed on Tuesday, that it was renewing its interest in the case of the late 22-year-old Bamise Ayanwola, who was killed after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the State in February 2022.
The House said it would be inviting the family of the deceased, the related government agency and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) for an update on the case which has been in court.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said the issue which was brought up by Hon. Steve Ogundipe under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ was worthy of deliberation.
Obasa commended the CDHR for bringing the issue to the fore again nearly two years after it happened.
The speaker said, “The issue of Bamise was brought to this House when it happened and I received the protesters, but at that point, the case was before the police and the court of law.
“Unfortunately, the judiciary is an institution on its own and we do not have the power to dabble into their activities. We cannot compel the judiciary but can only lend our voice by saying the people of the State are eager to know about the case.
“We need to invite the family, the civil society group and the agency of the government that has a role to play so that they can let us know how far they have gone.
“If we are encouraging people to make use of public transportation, then we must build that confidence that they are safe. All the buses on our roads must have CCTV cameras. Our new trains and terminals should also have. The essence of this is to prevent crime. Security is very crucial.”
He noted that if in six months, the family of Bolanle Raheem, the lawyer who was murdered by a policeman, could get justice, there should also be justice for Bamise.
The Speaker thanked the police for how far they have gone with the case involving the death of musician Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad.
