Tagbo: Davido to face life imprisonment if charged with and found guilty of Manslaughter

Davido‘s involvement in the death of Tagbo Umeike, if proven could land him in jail for life, going by Nigeria’s criminal code.

The police reportedly re-invited the singer over his involvement in
the death of his friend Tagbo whose corpse was allegedly dumped at the
hospital. According to several outlets, the car in which the deceased
was taken to the Lagos Island General Hospital was recovered from
Davido’s Lekki home. The singer continues to deny that he was involved
at all.

The Commissioner of Police Imohimi Edgal is quoted as saying Davido’s
initial statement that he was unaware of how the deceased got to the
hospital was false as his other associates took Tagbo to the hospital on
his instruction.

A legal practitioner has revealed to NET that while it is premature
to preempt what the police might charge Davido for, a manslaughter
charge might be likely if it is proven that he was involved.

‘I don’t think it can fall under ‘murder’, the lawyer we spoke to said.‘If
the police say the Tagbo died of suffocation because he was locked in
Davido’s car. That would be manslaughter. Murder would mean it was
premeditated. Manslaughter means it could have been unknowingly done.
But again we don’t know yet what the police will charge him with.’

Tagbo Umeike was said to have been at a lounge to
celebrate his birthday when he became unconscious and was brought in to
the premises of the hospital by three other associates of Davido, Tunde Usutu, Agbeje Olaoye and Idris Busari in a vehicle that has since been recovered from the singer’s home.

The Nigerian Criminal Code expressly states what is defined as manslaughter and what the punishment could be. Section 317 defines manslaughter as ‘A person who unlawfully kills another in such circumstances as not to constitute murder is guilty of manslaughter.’

Section 320:2 also states that ‘Any
person who- with intent unlawfully to kill another does any act, or
omits to do any act which it is his duty to do, such act or omission
being of such a nature as to be likely to endanger human life; is guilty
of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for life.’

In addition, Section 326:3 adds that is guilty of a felony, and is liable, to imprisonment for life.

It is not the best of times for Davido as few days after the death of
Tagbo, two other friends of his also died in similar fashion, with the
police recovering their corpses from a car after a night out.