OLATUNBOSUN UGBOGU, A NIGERIAN US SEAMAN JAILED FOR LIFE!

His name is Olatunbosun Ugbogu, he is 23 years old; he is a Nigerian and was a seaman, serving to earn his green card in the U.S. Navy! He was a crew member of the U.S. 7th Fleet's cruiser Cowpens, stationed at the US Naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo!

He robbed a Japanese taxi driver, Masaaki Takahashi, 66, of his 19,560 yen ( about $200) in taxi fare and stabbed him to death with a kitchen knife, to keep him silent and prevent him from reporting the robbery incident? Insanity? May be; but the presiding Judge Masaaki Kawaguchi was not buying it, as he sentenced Olatunbosun to life in a Japanese prison with hard-labor, stating that an insane man does not take a $200 dollars cab ride without plans to pay the tab! The court described his crime as "cold-hearted and cruel ... and which was "committed to get money for socializing." The court further added that the crime was "heinous and selfish.” In finding him guilty of murder, the Yokohama District Court ruled that his defense of "hearing voices", was groundless and baseless! Olatunbosun was additionally found guilty of robbery for not paying the taxi fare and of violating the arms control law by carrying arms (kitchen knife). Baring a successful appeal, Olatunbosun is likely to spend between 25 to 30 years minimum, behind bars in serving the life term!

According to the narrative put in evidence, on March 19, 2009, Olatunbosun flagged down a cab at Tokyo's Shinagawa station and asked the driver to take him to Yokosuka’s Shioiri neighborhood. Upon reaching his destination, Olatunbosun tried in vain to run his creidt card to pay the taxi tab but it was repeatedly declined. In anger, he stabbed the cabbie and made for his escape; but fortunately, he forgot his credit card in the cab which led authorities to him. Olatunbosun admitted to the crime during initial police interrogation but at trial plead insanity? A psychiatric who examined Olatunbosun to determine his insanity claim, reported that "he acted too methodically to have been schizophrenic at the time of the killing" which the court gladly accepted and convicted him accordingly. Icheoku asks, but why was the defense not allowed to present their own psychiatric witness during the trial? Could their own witness have reached a different conclusion, possibly establishing that Olatunbosun was "hearing voices" that compelled his hand to slit the throat of the taxi-driver?

Atypical of a hard-man Nigerian, Olatunbosun Ugbogu said he will likely not appeal the verdict; expressing earlier, his willingness to accept the outcome of the trial and move on with his life. Icheoku says, how can a possibly sane person think that he could move on with his life while caged like an animal behind prison walls? Olatunbosun should also pray that he is not put in a mixed population in the prison, as some hot-head Japanese might want to know why this African killed one of their own? That a retributive prison mob-justice might be visited on Olatunbosun is a glaring possibility, which should have influenced his defense counsel to seek that Olatunbosun serve his sentence outside Japan, and possibly in the United States of America? Tall order, one may say, but under the circumstance of drastically virtually reduced options, any suggested idea should be good enough?

It appears that Olatunbosun is now entirely on his own as the U.S. Navy in Japan observed that it has "full faith in the Japanese judicial system and is confident justice was served." Also the US government described Olatunbosun's crime as a "cruel and shameful incident" decrying the trouble, fear and sorrow it has caused." While in their stcok in trade of indifference to the plight of her citizens, the Nigerian government has not voiced an opinion, either way. Icheoku asks, would his Nigerian relatives who pushed him so hard and were putting too much pressure on "their kin in America", which possibly forced this young man into some irrational stress-borne decisions, now come and suffer his fate alongside with him? Not likely; never in the least and this should serve as a teachable moment for all those African brothers and sisters in America or overseas, who work their arses out just to have some extra for the homies back in motherland. It is not worth it and please stop yielding to the never-ending wanton pressure from motherland, because when the chips are down as with Olatunbosun, they will not come to your aid. Instead they will desert you and like a marooned whale, your fate will solely rest in your hands! So, say no to home-pressure; do only what you can conveniently afford and cut off your telephones if you must, but please do not let them push you over the cliff or into the mouth of an erupting volcano!

It will be recalled that Olatunbosun's case is the fifth handover of a U.S. serviceman to the Japanese authorities for prosecution, since the arrangement worked out by Japan and the United States concerning the Status of Forces Agreement following the 1995 rape of a Japanese girl by three U.S. servicemen in Okinawa came into effect! It is also the third instance in the recent past, when a person connected to the US military presence in Japan had run afoul of the law. Last year, a US Marine, based in Okinawa allegedly raped a 14-year old girl? Earlier in 2006, a US sailor was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for also robbing and fatally beating a 56-year old Japanese woman to death.

Our sympathies go to the deceased cabbie's family and also to Olatunbosun's family, who equally somewhat, lost a member of their family in this incident. Icheoku says, could our overseas-stationed service men use some extra counselling; or could it be just a case of some few bad apples giving our brave men and women, a smear and smudge on the face? You decide!