A Lagos State High Court has sentenced a truck driver, Okpara Kingsley Onyekachi, to life imprisonment for killing a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) marshal on active duty.
The life sentence was handed down by the High Court of Lagos state, TBS Division, in Suit No. LD/24692C/2024, dubbed: ‘The State v. Okpara Kingsley Onyekachi,’ arising from a fatal crash that occurred on 16 November, 2023 at Orile-Iganmu, Lagos last Tuesday.
A statement released at the corps headquarters in Abuja, Monday, said the court found that the defendant, while driving a 40-foot container-laden truck at excessive speed, drove recklessly and rammed into a stationary mini -truck that had been flagged down by FRSC officers for routine inspection.
The impact crushed Deputy Chief Road Marshal Assistant (DCRMA) Ajomale, who was lawfully performing his official duties, resulting in his death.
In its ruling, the court described the driver’s conduct as grossly negligent, reckless, and unlawful and dismissed claims that the incident was accidental.
Consequently, he was convicted for involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to life imprisonment under the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2015.
Reacting to the judgment, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, said the verdict sends a strong and unmistakable message to motorists, particularly operators of heavy-duty vehicles, that reckless driving will no longer be tolerated on Nigerian roads. He added that whenever lives are lost due to gross negligence, especially those of officers on lawful duty, the law will take its full course.
He added that the FRSC will intensify enforcement, strengthen prosecution support, and deepen collaboration with stakeholders to curb dangerous driving, warning that violators of traffic regulations should expect severe legal consequences.
In a related demonstration of proactive road safety management, FRSC personnel under the RS1.1 Kaduna Sector Command have successfully averted a major disaster, following a lone fuel tanker crash at NEPA Roundabout along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, in the early hours of Sunday.
