A Lagos High Court on Thursday sentenced a 33-year-old security guard, Emmanuel Ajeoge, to 10 years imprisonment for manslaughter.
Justice Raliat Adebiyi handed down the sentence after convicting Ajeoge for the death of a young lady, Gloria Okhiran, through accidental discharge of a local gun.
Ajeoge was initially arraigned on a one count charge of murder contrary to Sections 319(1) of the Criminal Code laws of Lagos state 2011 but was convicted for manslaughter.
Justice Adebiyi said, “The court finds the defendant not guilty of murder charge on the grounds that the evidence before it does not prove beyond reasonable doubt that there was an intention to commit murder.
“The defendant is hereby found guilty of manslaughter contrary to Sections 317 of the Criminal laws of Lagos State, 2003.”
The judge said the defendant, who knew he had an unlicensed gun, ought to have handled it cautiously in order to avert such dangers.
While pronouncing the jail sentence, the judge noted that the convict ought to have known that his weapon was deadly and ought to have taken proper care of it.
The judge also took into consideration, the allocutus by defence counsel, Ebunoluwa Adetiba, that he is a first offender, a father of three children and a young man who has shown remorse for his actions.
“He is hereby sentenced to a prison sentence of 10 years which would commence from the date of his remand in prison custody,” the judge added.
The prosecution counsel, Mrs. R. O. Ahmed-Muili, had during the trial told the court that Ajeoge committed the offence in December 25, 2010 at Alaso Street, Alagbado, Lagos.
According to her, the convict was manning the street’s gate with his colleague, one Mr. Samson, at the time the deceased and two other male visitors attempted to pass through the gate.
She said the convict stopped them and demanded to know who they were and who they were looking for on the street.
The prosecutor said an argument ensued between the guards and the visitors, adding that the guards attempted to push the two men away from the gate but they resisted.
Muili said: “The guard tried to scare them away with his gun but rather, they struggled for the gun with him. It was during the struggle that the gun went off and the bullet hit the deceased on the head.”
She said the woman fell to the ground and died on the spot.
She said the matter was reported to the chairman of the street, one Mr. Kadiri, who reported the incident to the police.
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