On Tuesday, the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court remanded the Lagos State Staff bus driver, Oluwaseun Osibanjo, for running into a moving train, causing grievous harm and involuntary manslaughter to the passengers.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala ordered that Mr Osibanjo be remanded in the appropriate custodial centre, pending the filing and hearing of his bail application.
Mr Ogala adjourned the case until May 26 for the commencement of trial. Mr Osibanjo was arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter and grievous harm. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution, led by the director of public prosecution, Babajide Martins, had prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody.
Mr Martins told the court that the defendant committed the offences on March 9 at about 7:00 a.m. on Shogunle level crossing in Ikeja.
He submitted that the defendant ignored warning signals, ran into an oncoming train, and negligently killed some persons identified as OreOluwa Aina and 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.
He said the others were Ayuib Arowoye, Rilwan Abdulazeez and Shiyanbola Murtala, stressing that the alleged offences contravened the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
However, the defence counsel, Lekan Egberongbe, prayed the court to remand the defendant in police custody for health reasons.
“The defendant was 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 to be remanded with the police,” stated Mr Egberongbe.
The judge, however, said 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,” Mr Ogala said.
(NAN)
