The 72-year-old Mrs. Comfort Abegunde-Ayanwola, mother of 22-year-old lady, Oluwabamise Ayanwola killed while on board a BRT bus in Lagos, has called for speedy justice to be done in the killing of her daughter.
She wants the Lagos State government to ensure that her late daughter get speedy justice and not allow the incident be swept under the carpet by persons in high positions in the state.
Speaking in Yoruba amidst tears and sobs, the mother of the victim said in an interview with journalists that it would have been a great joy for her if camera men were recording to show her in the video on Oluwabamise’s wedding day instead of in a mournful state.
She narrated that the deceased wouldn’t have been able to record about her whereabout if she was still using a basic phone.
She said her daughter bought an Android phone recently on pay on-instalment basis, because calling and speaking on her former phone doesn’t ease communication between them.
She however said, “My joy is that, if not for the new phone she got, this secret wouldn’t have been known, because whenever she calls to greet me with her old handset, I would tell her, I can not hear you but If you can hear me and I will just pray for her.
The mother also said that her daughter was a very hard-working individual who had learned fashion designing and was only trying to improve on her sewing skill at Ajah Lekki area of the State.
“My daughter trained as a fashion designer, she had her freedom but only wanted to avoid being indebted financially to her second boss, and that’s why she said she needs to hustle more.”
She also narrated that she was on her way home from her work place when she went missing.
She cried loudly, “My daughter boarded government’s vehicle but was not aware that there were no passengers in the bus.
She continued,”While on board, the light was switched off and that was why my child brought out her handset, called her friend and to inform her that she was scared because she is the only person in the bus.
She explained that her daughter queried her friend on phone if it’s possible for government vehicle to be working around that time she was on board.
Now, the grieving mother is asking: Why did the driver switched off the lights?
Speaking further, she noted that when the bus was on the move other persons got on the bus, two men and a woman.
However, she stressed that her daughter’s friend whom she had sent a video recording to advised that she get off the bus if she was afraid.
Bursting into another emotional speech, she asked “Will my child fly out of the vehicle?
Responding to her musing, “My daughter, can’t fly out from the bus, the doors have been locked and lights switched off.
She stated, It is a government bus my daughter travelled on and became a dead person.
At this point, she exclaimed, “Ha! Government help me, Lagos State Government please help me, I was born in Ekiti, let the Ekiti State Government also help me!, she said.
