Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and his wife, Ibijoke, on Thursday, failed to show up at the residence of the family of slain 22-year-old Bus Rapid Transit passenger, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, The PUNCH can confirm.
Our correspondent who was at the residence of the victim’s family at Oniboli community in the Ayobo area of the Alimosho Local Government Area all through the day learnt that the governor and his wife aborted their planned condolence visit to the grief-stricken family at short notice.
Our correspondent hurriedly rushed to the deceased’s family house and got there at exactly 01:35pm after she got credible information that the governor, his wife and other government officials would be paying a condolence visit to the victim’s family.
On getting to the house, our correspondent observed that grief and tears competed in the house as family members, informed of the governor’s planned visit, awaited his arrival.
The mourners rented a tent in anticipation of the governor’s arrival, even as security personnel visibly accessed the security situation of environment.
Their hopes were high as they stretched to confirm the type of vehicle approaching whenever they heard a honking vehicle.
At 04:30pm, a family source who preferred anonymity, and who was in direct communication with the governor’s people, told our correspondent that the governor shifted the visit to evening.
But till 06:30pm when our correspondent left the house, the governor, his wife and their entourage did not show up.
The family representative later told our correspondent that the governor’s aides informed him that he had another event to attend somewhere else, hence, his abortion of the planned condolence visit.
The PUNCH had reported that the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, announced on Monday that the dead body of Bamise was found where suspected ritualists dumped the dismembered and uncompleted remains of the lady on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community.
Bamise got missing while returning to Ota from Ajah on February 26 when she boarded a BRT bus with number 240257 going to Oshodi at about 7pm at Chevron Bus-Stop.
The victim, who worked as a fashion designer in Ajah spent her weekends in Ota, Ogun State, with her sister, had sent some voice notes to a friend when she sensed danger on the bus.
The friend had escalated the matter and it attracted widespread condemnation with many Nigerians calling on security agents to fish out the perpetrators and rescue Bamise.
On Monday, the Department of State Services arrested Andrew Nice, the driver of the BRT that the victim boarded. Nice was arrested in Ogun State at his hideout as a fugitive.
Viral videos show that the driver when apprehended by the secret police confessed to having raped the deceased but in a follow-up video in branded government outfit, Nice recanted, sparking outrage on alleged cover-up of the criminality committed.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had said the Sanwo-Olu government has a lot of questions to answer and therefore urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to take up the case for justice to be served.
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