Bayonle Adegbola
A Lagos State high court sitting in Ikeja has arraigned Osibanjo Oluwaseun, the driver of the BRT bus that collided with a train.
Yesterday, the Lagos government arraigned Oluwaseun on a 16-count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter and grievous harm.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the reports, Justice Oyindamola Ogala ordered that Osibanjo be remanded at the appropriate custodial centre, pending the filing and hearing of his bail application.
Ogala adjourned the case until May 26 for the commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, Osibanjo was arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter and grievous harm.
The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Dr. Babajide Martins, had prayed the court for a trial date as well as for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional facility.
Martins told the court that the defendant committed the offences on March 9 at about 7:00am at the Shogunle Level Crossing, Ikeja.
He submitted that the defendant ignored warning signals and ran into an oncoming train and negligently killed one Oreoluwa Aina, as well as Tolulope Emmanuel, Olayinka Rokosu, Ganiyat Salaudeen, Lasisi Isah and Victoria Dada.
The prosecution also alleged that the defendant inflicted grievous harm on Bolanle Ogunbunmi, Ayomide Shobowale, Sarah Adeleye, Abiola Olarewaju, Esther Ekundayo, Samuel Fagbola and Ismail Bakare.
And others, he said, were Ayuib Arowoye, Rilwan Abdulazeez and Shiyanbola Murtala.
According to him, the alleged offences contravened the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The defence counsel, Mr Lekan Egberongbe, however, prayed the court to remand the defendant in police custody, due to his health reasons.
“The defendant was then brought from the Federal Medical Centre Ebute-metta this morning my lord. I plead with the court while we await the trial date to allow him be remanded with the police.
The judge, however, said that the court did not have the medical report of the defendant.
“The court does not have the power to remand the defendant in police custody.
“If the custodial centre is served with the necessary medical report of the defendant, he should be given proper medical attention,” Ogala said.