The family of the late Bamise Ayanwola, who was brutally murdered inside a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle operated by the Lagos State Bus Services Limited (LBSL), has called for an expeditious trial of the culprits.
The family members also debunked rumours that they had been ‘settled’, stressing that justice on the matter remained un-served. Speaking on behalf of the family, the deceased’s sister, Elizabeth Ayanwola, lamented delay in release of the autopsy result after specimen had been collected for analysis overseas, more than 24 months ago.
She called on well meaning Nigerians to intervene, saying the silence was causing more pain to the family. She said: “We can’t afford to lose again our loved ones who are thinking, sobbing and crying over this matter daily. Our prayer is that the court and government would expedite action. Our patience is exhausted. We need speed on the whole matter. Let the government fish out those accomplices who were in the vehicle with Bamise on that fateful day.
“Otherwise, we won’t believe that those people were not agents of some supposed government officials who have been using that vehicle for heinous crimes. We want this case to remain as hot as it was when it started.
“We have our questions which the government is yet to answer. Some witnesses said there was a Sports Utility Van (SUV) that accompanied the luxurious bus in which our late sister was. Please, what was the mission of the SUV?
“We believed that those people who boarded the vehicle with our sister were co-workers with the driver. At about the time he picked our sister, the bus services had closed, and putting off the light of the vehicle shows that the driver had already closed, and he should not pick anyone again.”
She added: “The question is why he picked her and others who later boarded the vehicle? On getting to LBSL, a few days after the demise of our late sister, while we were still in search for her, the family was made to know that all (LBSL) buses have Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) devices installed. Please, let the transport company play the footage of what transpired in the vehicle on that day to the world.
“We were made to know that the result of the specimen collected from our late sister for analysis overseas will help investigations into what led to her death. It’s more than 24 months now. We don’t know whether the result is yet to go overseas or there was traffic anywhere on the way back.
“Equally, we want the management of LBLS to be probed further regarding the operations of its buses in Lagos State, especially in the case of our dear sister. The Commissioner for Transportation should be made to explain what led to the death of our sister. Sadly, the bus in question is still functioning.”
