Lagos Court Convicts Tricycle Driver Godswill Akpan of Involuntary Manslaughter, Sentences Him to 10 Years
The Lagos State High Court, sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, has convicted and sentenced a 42‑year‑old tricycle operator, Godswill Akpan, to 10 years’ imprisonment for the killing of his colleague, Baba Ali Bukar (30).
Delivering judgment, Justice Yetunde Adesanya found Akpan guilty of involuntary manslaughter, holding that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court noted that Akpan unlawfully caused Bukar’s death by striking him in the chest with a stone during a dispute at the Eko Hotel Roundabout, Victoria Island, Lagos, on June 1, 2019.
Akpan was arraigned on October 18, 2021, on a one‑count charge of involuntary manslaughter by provocation, contrary to Section 225 and punishable under Section 299 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015. He pleaded not guilty, and the matter proceeded to trial.
The prosecution called one witness and tendered one exhibit, while Akpan testified in his own defence without producing additional witnesses or exhibits. The Investigating Police Officer testified that no autopsy was conducted due to religious objections by the deceased’s family.
In her ruling, Justice Adesanya observed inconsistencies in Akpan’s testimony, noting that he retracted parts of his earlier statement. She held that the circumstantial evidence was clear and compelling, establishing guilt.
During allocutus, defence counsel pleaded for leniency, describing Akpan as remorseful, a first‑time offender, and family breadwinner. The court, however, sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment, emphasising the gravity of the offence.
