The suspected murderer of 22-year-old fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, Andrew Nice Omininikoron, 47, was arrested at his hiding place at Ososa, Ogun State by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Police Commissioner (CP) Abiodun Alabi said on Monday night.
Omininikoron, who was arrested alongside the owner of the house he fled to, was paraded before reporters at the Police Command, Ikeja.
Although the police refused reporters access to the suspect, The Nation gathered that Omininikoron had denied having any hands in Oluwabamise’s murder.
It was gathered that that suspect claimed his bus was hijacked by three armed men who threatened him with their gun to cooperate or be killed.
Asked why he fled instead of reporting to the police or his employer, the driver was said to have kept mum.
Addressing reporters on the incident, Alabi said the police and DSS had trailed him to his hideout and were closing in on him before his eventual arrest.
He said it was regrettable that the victim was found dead, debunking claims her private parts were harvested.
The CP said he visited the mortuary and saw the body in the presence of the deceased’s relative who also confirmed she was intact.
Asked if Oluwabamise was raped by her killers, the police boss said that would be ascertained by autopsy.
He also dismissed allegations of attempted cover-up
Alabi said: “We are saddened by the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, the 22-year-old lady who was abducted while travelling in a BRT bus from Chevron area, Lekki to Osodi on 26th February, 2022.
“As soon as the report was received by the police, detectives were dispatched and search parties organised to trace the whereabouts of the missing lady.
“We were also in synergy with other relevant strategic partners with the determination and strength within our capacity to unravel the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the innocent, promising young lady.
“Sadly, while intensive investigation was ongoing, information was received that the victim’s lifeless body was found on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community, Lagos Island.
“The corpse has since been recovered and deposited at the mortuary of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.
“While our operatives were working tirelessly and were almost closing on the suspect in his criminal hideout in Ogun State, information was received from our sister agency, the DSS that he had been arrested by their operatives.
“The arrest of the suspects consoles us because concerted efforts of the police and our strategic partners eventually yielded the desired result.
“The suspect, Andrew Nice ‘m’ aged 47 was subsequently handed over to the police for further necessary actions.
“As the suspect is being paraded today, we want to assure the public and indeed the bereaved family of the victim that justice will be served in this case.
” May we also use this medium to sound a note of warning to criminal elements in the state that no crime will go undetected and that criminals will not go unpunished.
“The command has strengthened its security architecture and repositioned officers and men towards providing adequate and sustainable security for all and sundry in the state. This, we are confident, will prevent future occurrence of this sad incident.
“This is to further inform the general public that the BRT driver, Andrew Nice, suspected to be responsible for the abduction and murder of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, who got missing on board a BRT bus on 26th February, 2022 has been arrested by operatives of the DSS and has been handed over to the police.
“We want to reassure the public that the suspect (driver) will be arraigned in court very soon to face justice.
“We therefore appeal to aggrieved persons and sympathisers not to take the law into their hands as the command is doing everything legally possible to prosecute this case.”
