Things keep getting messy: 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.