Nice Andrew Omininikoron, the BRT driver, who allegedly killed a lady passenger, Oluwabamise Ayanwola, in Lagos, was arrested by officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Ososa-Ijebu, Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

His friend, “who was protecting and hiding him”, was also arrested.

This was disclosed on Monday by Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi.

Alabi said the suspect, after committing the act, ran to Ososa-Ijebu, where he was arrested.

There was public outcry following the release of an audio and video conversation Ayanwola had with a friend while inside the bus which she boarded in Lekki area of Lagos.

She told the friend that she was afraid because the driver did not pick other passengers. She also sent the bus number.

Later, the driver picked three other ‘passengers’, a move that looked suspicious, forcing Ayanwola to tell her friend through video call.

A few minutes later, the friend could not reach her again.

Her mother later stormed the BRT Yard with some relatives, shouting ‘this is the bus that took my daughter. Where is the driver?’

Alabi said following the disappearance of the driver, detectives were immediately dispatched to look for him.

The body of the lady was later found on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island.

Family members immediately identified the body, prompting security agents to intensify their search.

The body has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy to be conducted.

Alabi said: “After the recovery of the body, information came in that the suspect has been arrested  by officers of the Department of State Security at Ososa -Ijebu where he went to hide in a friend’s house. The friend was also arrested.

“The 47-year-old suspect has not made any useful information on why he killed the lady. We condole with the bereaved family and assure them that justice would be served accordingly.” he said.

The lead counsel to Sunday Igboho, Yomi Aliyyu, SAN says the Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo has not been released finally. 

According to him, "he was only released to be taken to the hospital to attend to his ill health in a Beninoise hospital after about 231 days in detention".

"The last time we spoke, I told you that we were making arrangements to take him to the hospital over his ill health. So, he was released based on health grounds".

Barrister Aliyyu said, "I am to inform you that Chief Sunday Adeyemo has been released from prison to his medical practitioners under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason".

"Praises should be given to two prominent Yoruba personalities to wit Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Akintoye for this turnaround in our client’s matter" he stated.

Earlier, the Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Ighoho, was widely reported to have been released by the Government of Republic of Benin, finally.

The umbrella body of Yoruba Self-determination Group, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, announced this in a statement on Monday.

The statement issued by  Ilana Omo Oodua’s spokesperson, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye,  was titled, ‘Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo Ighoho released to Yoruba leader, Banji Akintoye; French language expert, Adeniran by the Benin Republic Government’.

Details of his release were sketchy as at the time of filing this report.

The statement reads, “Yoruba Nation Activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Ighoho, has been released by the Government of Republic of Benin.

“The Activist was released on Monday to a Yoruba Leader and Leader of the Umbrella body of Yoruba Self-determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Professor Banji Akintoye and a French Language Expert/ Deputy Alana of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Professor Wale Adeniran.

“Akintoye described the release of Ighoho as a triumph of truth over darkness in Yorubaland.”

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command on Monday says the driver of a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT who drove murdered 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwole has been arrested. 

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, made this known in a chat on Monday, even as he confirmed that the dead body of the lady has been found.

He also said the killers of Ayanwole, who got missing in transit while onboard the bus would face justice.

According to the PPRO, the remains of the lady was dumped on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community by her abductors.

It will be recalled that Ayanwola got missing while returning to Ota from Ajah on February 26 when she boarded a BRT bus with number 240257 going to Oshodi at about 7pm at Chevron Bus-Stop.

A 22-year-old lady, Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwola, who got missing after boarding a Lagos Bus Rapid Transit vehicle, has been found dead.

One of Ayanwola’s relatives confirmed this on Monday.

“We are at the morgue. We have confirmed the corpse,” the relative said in an emotion-laden voice.

It was learnt that her corpse was dropped on Lagos Island by a BRT vehicle and a jeep.

Upon sighting the corpse by the roadside, an unknown man reportedly informed officials of Ebute Ero Police Station on Saturday evening.

The corpse was later taken to the Mainland Hospital mortuary.

“An autopsy will be carried out to confirm if any part of her body is missing,” the relative said.  

Ayanwola got missing while returning to Ota from Ajah on Saturday, February 26 when she boarded a BRT bus with number 240257 going to Oshodi at about 7 p.m. at Chevron Bus-Stop.

It was gathered that the victim worked as a Fashion Designer at Chevron Estate, Ajah and spent weekends at Ota, Ogun State, with her sister.

Sensing danger as the bus did not pick any other passenger at subsequent bus stops, Oluwabamise had engaged a friend using voice notes on her phone.

The  voice notes showed that the bus driver said he liked Oluwabamise and asked for her name and other details.

She told her friend to pray for her as she became suspicious of the bus driver and in response, the friend told her to alight at Oworonsoki bus stop — before Oshodi bus stop.

Oluwabamise had also sent a video to her friend showing how dark it was in the bus and said, “There are three men and one woman in the bus. The woman is sitting at the back. That’s the number of the bus in case. Please pray for me.’’

That was the last that was heard from Oluwabamise, according to her mother.

It was also reported that the missing lady’s elder brother, James, said that Bamise was heard struggling with someone on the bus during last phone conversation with her.

He said, “The driver took to his heels. As we speak, he is at large. We learnt that he no longer resides where he claimed he resided. It is a case of kidnapping.

“If the driver were available, we may have said it was a case of a missing person. Moreover, she boarded the bus and three people were picked up along the road. When she was called, she didn’t pick up her call. When she picked, she was heard struggling with a man, so this is not a case of a missing person. I believe this (kidnapping) has been ongoing.

“From my little investigation, I discovered that the company does not have proper documentation of their drivers. We learnt that the driver moved from where he claimed to be living over a year ago and his guarantor doesn’t live where he claimed to be living. The company is trying to push us aside and keep it away from the press. Our parents are aware but they aged, so we had to convince them that all is well. But we have been having sleepless nights.

The Police in Lagos and the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit are still searching for the BRT driver in whose bus the 22-year-old lady was allegedly kidnapped.

President Muhammadu Buhari is still expected to travel to London, United Kingdom, for his medical checkup despite his surprise return to the country.

The president’s aircraft touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 1pm on Friday.

Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant to the president on new media, had tweeted Buhari’s arrival in the country.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja, after his participation in the 50th Anniversary of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

The president’s return took many by surprise, given the earlier spelt-out details of his itinerary.

Femi Adesina, senior special adviser to the president on media and publicity, had announced the planned medical trip in a statement issued on Tuesday, March 1.

“From Kenya, Buhari will proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks,” Adesina had said.

The trip to Kenya was for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

In spite of his unexpected return to the country, TheCable understands that Buhari’s medical checkup has not been cancelled.

According to a source in the presidency, the trip is “still on” and the president will see his doctors as planned.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the president is expected to depart for London in the next couple of days, the source added.

The Cable

Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has approved a new dress code allowing hijab for female officers in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

According to the police, the new dress code also allows female officers to wear stud earrings under their berets or peak caps while in uniform.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, in a statement on Friday, said the new dress code was unveiled on Thursday at a meeting involving the IGP and “strategic police managers”.

Adejobi said the new dress code was approved to guarantee gender inclusion in the police for “optimum output and professionalism”.

“The IGP noted that the Nigeria police workforce has officers from every local government in the country with a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, and an increased inclusion of female folks,” the statement reads.

“This, therefore, brings the need to guarantee inclusion, gender mainstreaming, ethnic and religious diversity in the workplace for optimum output and professionalism.

“This has informed the improvement for effective global workforce diversity management. Other countries that have adopted the same dress code include Canada, the United States of America, Sweden, Turkey, Australia and the United Kingdom, amongst others.

“The dress code is optional and senior women police officers have been tasked by the IGP to ensure compliance with the approved standard for women police officers who have opted to adopt the dress code.

“The Inspector-General of Police noted that this development, which is in line with international best practices, addresses the growing concern for gender mainstreaming and respect for culture and diversity.”

The Cable

NATO will defend all its allies and territory against a Russian attack, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday, as he arrived for a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers in Brussels.

"Ours is a defensive alliance. We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us we are ready for it and we will defend every inch of NATO territory," he told reporters, while condemning what he called Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

"And overnight, we've also seen reports about the attack against a nuclear power plant. This just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it and the importance of Russia withdrawing all its troops and engaging in good faith in diplomatic efforts."

Reuters

Russia’s war on Ukraine is in its ninth day. U.N. and Ukrainian officials say no radiation was released from a Russian attack at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant. One building caught fire and firefighters have extinguished the blaze.

Russian forces continued to press a campaign that has brought global condemnation. People across Ukraine have taken up arms and sought shelter. More than 1.2 million people have fled to neighboring countries, the U.N. refugee agency said Friday.

NATO is refusing to police a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The 30-nation military organization believes such a move could provoke widespread war in Europe with Russia.

Here’s a look at key things to know about the conflict:

NUCLEAR SAFETY CONCERNS

Russian troops seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar in an attack that evoked memories of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, at Ukraine’s Chernobyl.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said no radiation spikes were detected. The chief of the U.N. agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said a Russian “projectile” hit a training center, not any of the six reactors.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal appealed to the IAEA and the EU to send representatives to all five Ukrainian nuclear power plants. “This is a question of the security of the whole world,” he said in a nighttime video address.

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine issued an unexpectedly harsh statement calling Russia’s attack on the nuclear plant a war crime.

Frequent shelling could be heard Friday from the center of the capital, Kyiv.

Heavy fighting continued on the outskirts of Mariupol, a strategic port, knocking out the city’s electricity, heat and water systems, and most phone service. Food deliveries were also cut.

In stories and videos posted online, Russian state outlets are falsely claiming that Zelenskyy fled Kyiv. Photos and videos show the Ukrainian president leading his country’s defense.

Russian forces have captured the southern city of Kherson, a vital Black Sea port of 280,000 — the first major city to fall. Russian armored vehicles were seen in the otherwise empty streets of Kherson, in videos shared with the AP by a resident.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND?

Battles involving airstrikes and artillery continued Friday northwest of Kyiv, and in the northeast, with the cities of Kharkiv and Okhtyrka coming under heavy strikes, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said.

Ukrainian defense forces were holding on to the northern city of Chernihiv, and have prevented Russian efforts to take the important southern city of Mykolaiv, he said.

Ukrainian artillery have been defending Odesa from repeated attempts by Russian ships to fire on the Black Sea port city, he said, insisting there’s no immediate threat to the city.

Some Ukrainian drone enthusiasts are risking their lives by forming a volunteer drone force to help their country repel the Russian invasion. Civilians are using the aerial cameras to track Russian convoys and relay the images and GPS coordinates to Ukrainian troops.

WHERE ARE REFUGEES GOING?

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ data portal showed that the vast majority of those who have left Ukraine since the invasion began — about 650,000 — went to neighboring Poland. Roughly 145,000 fled to Hungary. An additional 103,000 were in Moldova and more than 90,000 in Slovakia.

More than 100 Jewish refugee children who were evacuated from a foster care home in Ukraine and made their way across Europe by bus arrived in Berlin on Friday. The 105 children — the youngest only 5 weeks old — had left Odesa 52 hours earlier. The children received financial assistance from Jewish aid groups, and diplomatic support from Israel, Germany and other European states.

Brazil — which has Latin America’s biggest population of Ukrainians and their descendants — said it will issue temporary humanitarian visas and residency permits for Ukrainian nationals and others affected by the war.

In Hungary, a pastor in a village on the border with Ukraine offered up the only room in his church to a family of 27 women and children who were fleeing the invasion.

HOW MANY CASUALTIES?

Russia has acknowledged that nearly 500 Russian troops have been killed and around 1,600 wounded.

Ukraine has not released casualty figures for its armed forces.

The U.N. human rights office says at least 331 civilians have been killed and 675 wounded in Ukraine since the start of the invasion. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service has said more than 2,000 civilians have died, though it’s impossible to verify the claim.

BIDEN MEETS WITH FINNISH PRESIDENT NIINISTO

U.S. President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is “an attack on the security of Europe.”

Biden made the comment while meeting on Friday with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in the White House. Biden said in a tweet that the two leaders called Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson during their meeting.

Biden and Niinisto committed to start a process that would strengthen U.S.-Finnish security cooperation, the White House said.

Finland, as well as neighbor Sweden, for years has resisted joining NATO, with Nordic European Union members seeking to remain neutral between Russia and the West. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine is changing the dynamic.

Biden said at the start of his meeting with Niinisto: “We agree it’s not only an attack on Ukraine, it’s an attack on the security of Europe.”

The Finnish leader said his nation will do its best to help Ukraine.

SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA

The wave of global sanctions on Russia could have devastating consequences for energy and grain importers. Russia is a leading exporter of grains and a major supplier of crude oil, metals, wood and plastics.

More companies are suspending operations in Russia, including Apple, Mercedes-Benz, BP, Volkswagen, clothing retailer H&M and furnishings store IKEA.

Spain’s Teatro Real, one of Europe’s major opera houses, said it is canceling a set of upcoming performances by Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet.

RUSSIA’S MEDIA CRACKDOWN

Putin on Friday signed a bill into law that threatens up to 15 years in prison for what Russia deems to be “fake” reports about the war.

Also, the state communications watchdog blocked Facebook, Twitter and five foreign media organizations based abroad that publish news in Russian. Those organizations — the BBC, the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Latvia-based website Meduza — are among the most influential and often critical foreign media publishing in Russian.

AP

President Vladimir Putin urged Russia's neighbours on Friday not to escalate tensions, eight days after Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine.

"There are no bad intentions towards our neighbours. And I would also advise them not to escalate the situation, not to introduce any restrictions. We fulfil all our obligations and will continue to fulfil them," Putin said in televised remarks.

"We do not see any need here to aggravate or worsen our relations. And all our actions, if they arise, they always arise exclusively in response to some unfriendly actions, actions against the Russian Federation."

Putin was shown on TV taking part online, from his residence outside Moscow, in a flag-raising ceremony for a ferry in northern Russia.

Reuters

UN human rights chief warned humanity is at risk amid increasing nuclear threat.

Michelle Bachelet slammed Russia's attack on Ukraine in a speech in Geneva. 

Russia's Foreign Minister previously accused Western politicians of fixating on nuclear war, after Putin put the world's largest nuclear arsenal on high alert

The UN human rights chief  slammed Russia's attack on Ukraine on Thursday and cautioned that heightened nuclear threat levels showed all of humanity was at risk from Putin’s  invasion.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet warned that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched a week ago, 'is generating massive impact on the human rights of millions of people across Ukraine.'

'Elevated threat levels for nuclear weapons underline the gravity of the risks to all of humanity,' she added.

Her comments, during an urgent council debate on the Ukraine conflict, came after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered Russia's nuclear forces be put on high alert.

Earlier on Thursday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western politicians of fixating on nuclear war.

'It is clear that World War Three can only be nuclear,' Lavrov said in an online interview with Russian and foreign media.

'I would like to point out that it's in the heads of Western politicians that the idea of a nuclear war is spinning constantly, and not in the heads of Russians,' he said.

Moscow has the world's largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles which form the backbone of the country's deterrence forces.

Bachelet's speech came as UN figures showed the devastating week-old war had already forced more than one million people to flee Ukraine into neighboring nations, with countless others displaced inside the war-ravaged country.

Bachelet said her office had recorded 227 civilian deaths, including at least 15 children, but stressed that the real numbers were likely far higher.

Daily Mail