Following a boat accident that resulted in the death of 13 passengers, boat operator Happiness Elebiju has been handed a life imprisonment sentence. The incident led to Elebiju being arraigned before Justice Josephine Oyefeso of Lagos State High Court in Lekki on 11 counts related to manslaughter and operating a boat without a licence.
Prosecutors stated that the convict committed the crime on July 29, 2020, when he loaded passengers from Kirikiri to Badagry. Elebiju was claimed to have driven the boat, identified with the label ‘Mount Zion Transport’, recklessly and dangerously, leading to the tragic deaths of some passengers.
Despite pleading not guilty to the charges, five witnesses were summoned in the case by the prosecution. The judge, ruling on the case, concluded that the prosecution had convincingly proven its case.
Besides the life imprisonment sentence, Elebiju was also given an additional six months’ imprisonment for operating a boat without a licence.