Justice & Grief: Widow Of Lagos Sound Engineer Lynched Over N100 Speaks As Killers Face Death
After a four-year legal battle, the widow of slain Lagos sound engineer David Imoh reflects on the recent court judgment, which sentenced three men to death for his murder. She describes a profound mix of relief and persistent grief, emphasizing that while justice has been served, the pain of his loss and their unfulfilled dreams remain.
Four years after the brutal lynching of Lagos sound engineer David Imoh, a Lagos State High Court has finally delivered a judgment, sentencing three of the six convicts to death by hanging for their roles in the gruesome killing. However, for Bolu, Imoh's widow, this long-awaited justice brings a complex tapestry of emotions, marked by relief, profound grief, and painful memories. Speaking exclusively after the verdict, she revealed that no court judgment, no matter how definitive, can truly heal the deep pain of losing her husband or restore the life and dreams they had meticulously planned together.
Bolu described her initial reaction to the judgment as a 'mixed feeling,' with her head bowed and constant flashbacks of David. Despite the passage of four years since the tragic incident, she continues to grapple with the reality of his absence, often feeling as though he has merely traveled and will one day return. This persistent sense of disbelief underscores the profound and lingering impact of his sudden and violent death.
Throughout the lengthy trial, Bolu demonstrated unwavering commitment, attending every court sitting regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the outcome. For her, it was a fundamental act of devotion, a promise she made to David: 'Even if this is all I could do for him by coming to court, I made up my mind I was going to come with him.' The moment Justice I.O. Harrison delivered the verdict, while signifying a form of closure in the legal sense, simultaneously brought back the devastating reality that her husband had been permanently taken away, intensifying feelings of pain and bitterness.
'The pain was that this guy is gone. Why would he be killed for nothing? For nothing,' she lamented. The thought that haunted her throughout the day was the irreversible damage caused by what she vehemently described as a senseless altercation. She repeatedly questioned the rationale behind an incident that transformed her into a widow and left her children fatherless, a quarrel that 'didn’t even make sense' and could have been amicably resolved. Bolu firmly asserted that no one deserved to die in the brutal manner David Imoh was killed, emphasizing the sheer unfairness of his fate.
Despite the legal resolution of one of Nigeria’s most notorious mob justice cases, Bolu admitted that the judgment did not bring the emotional closure many had anticipated. 'It didn’t lead to any sense of closure. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say,' she confessed, affirming her continued faith in her late husband. Her emotional remarks followed a dramatic scene in the courtroom where one of the condemned convicts allegedly attempted suicide immediately after the death sentence was pronounced, using a razor blade to slash his wrist and attempt to cut his throat before being overpowered and taken for treatment. Justice Harrison had specifically directed that the convict be kept alive to serve his sentence.
In earlier interviews, Bolu painted a picture of David Imoh as a peaceful, hardworking man whose foremost dream was to provide a better life for his family. She fondly recalled him as 'Timmy,' revealing that he was preparing to relocate to Canada just months before his death, with plans for his wife and two children to join him later. His aspirations extended to establishing his own mechanic workshop with an attached car wash and building a family home – dreams that tragically died with him.
David Imoh, a 37-year-old sound engineer with Legacy360 Band, met his untimely end in May 2022 on Admiralty Way in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. His brutal beating and subsequent immolation by a mob stemmed from a seemingly minor disagreement over a N100 balance with a commercial motorcyclist, which rapidly escalated into horrific mob violence. His colleagues, saxophonist Francis Olatunji and keyboardist Philip Balogun, also sustained serious injuries during the attack. The Lagos State High Court on Tuesday convicted all six defendants involved, with three receiving death sentences for conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, and murder, bringing a legal conclusion to a case that deeply shocked the nation.