An Ikeja High Court has remanded a Lagos State Staff bus driver, Oluwaseun Osibanjo, for allegedly running into a moving train, causing grievous harm and involuntary manslaughter to the passengers.
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.
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, Dr. Babajide Martins, had prayed to 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 7:00 a.m. on Shogunle Level Crossing, Ikeja.
He submitted that the defendant ignored warning signals, ran into an oncoming train, and negligently killed one 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.
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 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 to 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.
