A pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sunday Shoyemi, on Friday, told a Lagos state High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square that the death of a 22-year-old fashion designer named Oluwabamise Ayanwole, was caused by a force blunt trauma on the head.
Shoyemi said the death was ascribed to craniocerebral injury following a force blunt trauma.
The witness, who is also a lecturer at the Medicine Department, LASU, told Justice Sherifat Sonaike while giving evidence at the ongoing trial of a Bus Rapid Transit driver, Andrew Ominnikoron, who was charged with rape and murder of Ayanwole.
Ominnikoron is facing five counts bordering on rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault and murder preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.
The prosecution told the court that Ominnikoron conspired with others now at large to rape and murder his 22-year-old passenger.
The prosecution said that the defendant had sexual intercourse with Ayanwole, without her consent, and murdered her, at about 7 p.m., between the Lekki Ajah expressway and Carter Bridge, on February 26, 2022.
“The defendant and others now at large on February 26, 2022, unlawfully killed one Ayanwole by throwing her out of a moving bus between Lekki- Ajah expressway and Cater Bridge,” the statement read.
According to the prosecution, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
However, the 48-year-old defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Friday, Shoyemi, who was led in evidence by Director of Public Prosecution, Dr. Babajide Martins, told the court that prior to the autopsy, the body of the deceased had been embalmed.
He said that the body had no clothing but a silver-coloured ring was found on the middle right finger of the deceased.
Shoyemi testified that he observed a bruise on the left side of the forehead of the deceased, a bruise on the right temple just above the ear on the right temple.
He also told the court that he observed a large bruise on the back of the skull of the deceased.
“In addition, there was a bruise on the elbow region. These findings were the external appearance.
“Upon opening, I saw what we call Subdural hematoma, which means bleeding into the soft tissue covering the skull, or bleeding into the brain. This was noticed in the frontal area as well as on the back of the skull.
“At the back of the skull, there were multiple fractures, which meant bone broken into two or more pieces. There was a fracture at the temporal bone, the bone above the ear.
“I also observed the bleeding into the brain called Subdural. I checked for deep bruising, the bruising you would not be able to see under the skin excerpt the skin is removed.
“Bruises were found on both lower lips and the organs were essentially normal except the right ovary which had cysts which had a fluid collection. It was an incidental finding which has nothing to do with the death,” he said.
