By Elias Nnamdi
On Wednesday, a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja found 38-year-old motorist Sunday Okodo guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to David Zapania, a police officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and sentenced him to five years in jail.
In his ruling, Justice Oyindamola Ogala found Okodo guilty on three of the five charges the Lagos State Government had brought against him.
On counts two, four, and five, the court found him guilty; on the other counts, he was found not guilty. The prosecution claims that while Okodo was trying to avoid being arrested for driving against traffic (one-way), he struck Zapania with his car.
In addition, he was charged with assaulting a police officer, driving without a valid license, resisting arrest, reckless and dangerous driving, and attempted murder.
On November 10, 2021, Okodo was first arraigned and entered a not guilty plea to all five charges. Dr. Babajide Martins, the state director of public prosecutions, emphasized that the case was of public interest and asked for Okodo to get the harshest penalty possible.Given that the defendant was a first-time offender and had an elderly mother, defence attorney Mr. Boniface Ohemu requested the court to balance justice with mercy.
Justice Ogala asked Okodo if he had any comments before to sentencing. He said, “I’m sorry, Ma.”Justice Ogala emphasized the retribution, deterrent, and social protection functions of sentence when delivering the verdict.
She pointed out that when deciding on the proper punishment, the interests of the victim, the offender, and society must all be taken into consideration.
I want to start by saying that the court still has the last say over sentencing. Retaliation, deterrence, and the general welfare of society are the goals of sentencing.
“The court must consider the interests of the victim, the convicted person, and society when determining the appropriate sentence,” she stated.
In count two, Okodo was given a four-year prison sentence by Justice Ogala for causing severe bodily harm.
However, she stated that the time he was detained from February to November 2021 will be applied to his sentence. He was given a one-year imprisonment for count four and a N20,000 fine for count five. Concurrent execution of all sentences was mandated by the judge.
