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Boat owner, Happiness, remanded over involuntary manslaughter of 12 passengers

An Ikeja High Court, Lagos Monday remanded one Elebiju Happiness, owner of a boat, involved in the boat capsize that led to the drowning of 12 passengers in Lagos.
Happiness, the owner of Mount Zion transport, was arraigned on a 10-count charge of involuntary manslaughter before Justice Josephine Oyefeso.
According to the State Prosecutor and the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, the incident occurred in the waterfront community of Ilashe in July 2020.
The DPP said that offence contravened Section 224 and was punishable under 229 of the Criminal laws of Lagos State 2015.
Adeyemi said that the government blamed  the boat capsize on the weight of overcrowding and illegal activities of the operators.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all count charges.
Following his plea, Mrs Adeyemi urged the court to remand the defendant in prison custody while stating that the state is ready to open trial.
She informed the court that the prosecution intends to call two witnesses  to testify against the defendant.
Justice Josephine Oyefeso adjourned till August 27 for commencement of trial and ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison custody.

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