The Lagos State House of Assembly has announced its renewed interest in the case of the late Bamise Ayanwola, a 22-year-old fashion designer murdered after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit.
The House plans to invite the family, relevant government agencies, and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights for an update on the court proceedings, according to a statement.
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa emphasized the importance of the matter, raised by House member Steve Ogundipe under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance.’
“The family of the deceased, the related government agency and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights for an update on the case which has been in the court,” a statement said on Tuesday.
The statement quoted the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, as saying that the issue, which was brought up by a member of the House, Steve Ogundipe, under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, was worthy of deliberation.
“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 in 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,” the Speaker was quoted to have said.
Obasa 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.
Bringing the issue to the notice of the House, Ogundipe said the incident happened in February 2022 and had continued to linger.
The Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, recalled that the CDHR and the family of Bamise recently protested to the House, adding that about 500 protesters were promised that the House would act on their concern.