LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Ikeja High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Oluwaseun Osibanjo, for allegedly causing grievous harm and involuntary manslaughter by running into a moving train.
The collision, which occurred on 9 March at the PWD railway crossing in Ikeja, the state capital, left six persons dead and others injured and hospitalized across government hospitals in the state.
The bus, which had employees of the state government on board, was then dragged by the train that eventually came to a stop in the Sogunle area of the State.
Osibanjo was immediately apprehended and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution by the Sate.
The driver, arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala, is facing a 16-count charge bordering on grievous harm and involuntary manslaughter
The state Director of Public Prosecution, Babajide Martins, told the court that the bus driver negligently killed the victims by ignoring warning signals and running into a moving train.
Martins identified the six passengers killed in the collision as Aina Oreoluwa, Tolulope Emmanuel, Olayinka Mamma, Ganiyat Salaudeen, Lasisi Ibrahim and Victoria Dada.
The injured passengers were identified as Bolanle Ogunbunmi, Ayomide Shobowale, Sarah Adeleye, Olanrewaju Abiola and Esther Ekundayo.
Others are Samuel Fagbola, Bakare Ganiyu, Arowoye Ayuib, Rulwan Abdulaziz, and Shiyanbola Muritala.
According to him, the offences committed contravened Sections 224 and 245 and were punishable under Section 229 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the defendant’s plea, Martins asked the court for a trial date and asked that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility.
Meanwhile, the defendant’s counsel, Lekan Egberongbe, prayed the court to remand the driver in police custody due to his ill health.
“The defendant was brought from the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta this morning. I plead with the court, while we await the trial date, to allow him to be remanded with the police,” he said.
The prosecution, however, applied that the defendant be remanded and that if there was a need for him to get medical attention, the correctional service would provide the same.
Consequently, Justice Ogala ordered that Osibanjo be remanded at the appropriate custodial centre pending the filing and hearing of his bail application.
The case was adjourned till 26 May, 16 June and 28 June for the commencement of trial.
