A taxi fare dispute turned deadly after a driver collected sand from a musician’s footprints.
On 9 January 1995, taxi driver Kwasi Agyei was shot and killed at Dome in Accra. The musician was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, while his friend received a prison sentence. Both appealed, but the musician’s murder conviction was upheld.
This is the story of legendary musician Nana Kwasi Agyemang, popularly known as Gemann, and his friend Abeiku Nyame, popularly known as Jagger Pee.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
On 9 January 1995, a woman identified in reports as Nadia arrived by taxi at Gemann’s residence in Dome. At the time, Jagger Pee (his friend) was also at Gemann’s residence. Gemann was expected to pay Nadia’s lorry fare. According to the accounts reported by MyJoyOnline and Dennislaw, Nadia said the fare was 3,000 old cedis, while the driver demanded a higher amount of 4,000 old cedis.
Gemann disagreed with the amount the driver requested, which led to a heated argument. The driver eventually left without taking the money. (MyJoyOnline, Dennislaw, The Mirror)
THE DRIVER RETURNED LATER, AND WHY?
Later that same day, the driver returned to Gemann’s residence and collected sand from the spot where Gemann stood during their earlier confrontation. Gemann believed the driver intended to use the sand to curse him.
In an interview with The Mirror, Gemann said the driver threatened to kill everyone in the house when the driver was questioned about why he fetched the sand. This led to another confrontation as Gemann tried to get the sand back from him. (The Mirror, Dennislaw)
THE SHOOTING
Gemann went into his room and brought out a pistol. During the confrontation, Jagger Pee was already there restraining the driver to prevent him from leaving with the sand.
Reports say Gemann fired a warning shot before the fatal shooting, which killed the driver. Gemann later said the pistol discharged during a struggle while they were trying to bring the driver back to reverse the supposed curse.
Gemann maintained that he did not intend to kill him and said he went to the police station to report himself after the incident. (MyJoyOnline, Dennislaw, The Mirror)
THE COURT’S JUDGMENT
The case went to the High Court in Accra. Gemann was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging in May 1996.
Jagger Pee was convicted of abetment of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Two other people who stood trial with them were acquitted and discharged. (Amnesty International, MyJoyOnline, Modern Ghana)
BOTH OF THEM APPEALED AT THE COURT
On 19 November 1998, the Court of Appeal confirmed Gemann’s murder conviction and maintained his death sentence.
However, it changed Jagger Pee’s conviction and sentence.
According to Dennislaw’s account of the decision, the court ruled that Jagger Pee was liable for
"common assault" rather than abetment of murder.
MyJoyOnline reported that his life sentence was replaced with two years with hard labour, backdated to 15 May 1996, the date of his original conviction. (Dennislaw, MyJoyOnline)
The two years were counted from 15 May 1996. This means he did not start a new two year sentence in November 1998, when the court decided his appeal. From 15 May 1996 to November 1998 was already more than two years, so the replacement sentence did not require another two years in prison.
In an interview reported by Ameyaw Debrah in September 2019, Jagger Pee denied receiving a presidential pardon and said his release followed an appeal filed by his lawyer.
The report stated that he spent 32 months in prison. Gemann’s death sentence remained in place, while Jagger Pee regained his freedom after his appeal. (MyJoyOnline, Ameyaw Debrah)
GEMANN’S FINAL APPEAL
Gemann continued to the Supreme Court. On 14 June 2006, the court dismissed his appeal, describing the evidence supporting his conviction as overwhelming.
During his first trial for murder at the High Court in Accra, where he was first convicted of murder and sentenced to death before his appeals, the trial judge’s role included explaining the law to the jury (the people responsible for deciding whether Gemann was guilty).
When the Supreme Court later reviewed that original High Court trial, it found that the High Court judge made mistakes in those explanations. However, the Supreme Court decided that the evidence against Gemann was still strong enough to support his conviction despite those mistakes.
It also rejected his argument that the alleged curse justified his actions. His murder conviction and death sentence remained in place. (Modern Ghana)
THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
Despite his murder conviction and original death sentence, Gemann was released on 9 January 2009 following a presidential pardon granted by former President, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor. By the time of his release, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills was the president.
He spent approximately 14 years in custody, from his arrest in January 1995 until his release following the presidential pardon.
After his release, he said he visited the driver’s family, including the driver’s wife (the widow), and they received him warmly. He also said the family supported a petition for his release. (Daily Guide, The Mirror)
WHO IS GEMANN?
Gemann is a Ghanaian pop singer and dancer known for his Michael Jackson performances and the song Highlife in G Major (G major is a music term for a tune built around the note called G).
He gained recognition through dance competitions and performances in Ghana and abroad. He lived in the United Kingdom, where he developed his entertainment career and recorded music.
After returning to Ghana, he formed the G Dancers and became involved in music and film production. Jagger Pee was his friend and an established actor. (Citi Newsroom, The Mirror, Daily Graphic)
GEMANN’S LIFE AFTER PRISON
Gemann became a Christian minister known as Pastor G’Love Gemann and supported prison outreach programmes (visiting prisoners, sharing Christian teachings and donating essential items).
In 2014, Daily Graphic reported that he was preparing to launch an album titled G14, with 14 tracks representing his years in prison. Part of the money raised from the album was intended to support prisoners.
In 2022, Citi Newsroom reported that he was leading New Life Christian Fellowship in Staten Island, New York, in the United States. The report also stated that he remarried and wrote a book about his life titled From Fame to Shame.
More recently, Pulse Ghana reported on 3 June 2026 that he contributed to a Black Stars support song titled BLACKSTARS G’MAJOR alongside other Ghanaian musicians based in the United States. His life after prison has therefore included Christian ministry, charitable support for prisoners, writing and music, with reported musical activity continuing into 2026. (Daily Graphic, Citi Newsroom, Pulse Ghana)
THE LATEST REPORTS ABOUT JAGGER PEE
In January 2026, Jagger Pee spoke about continuing health and financial difficulties after undergoing heart surgery in 2016. He said he struggled to afford medication and medical checkups and depended on assistance from his wife and friends.
In an August 2026 interview with Graphic Showbiz, he appealed for a welfare fund for veteran actors, explaining that many have no pension to rely on when acting opportunities decline.
He also complained that producers increasingly give elderly roles to younger actors instead of employing veterans. (YEN, Daily Graphic)
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
Anger management:
The whole incident started with a disagreement over a lorry fare. It developed into a heated argument, followed by the driver returning to collect sand.
Gemann then brought a pistol to the scene, and the driver was eventually shot and killed. Although Gemann said the shooting was accidental, the incident shows the tragic consequences of failing to manage anger.
On Jagger Pee’s side:
According to what I read, Jagger Pee restrained the driver to prevent him from leaving with the sand. If he saw his friend bringing the gun to the scene, he should have advised him to put it away and keep it out of the confrontation.
Who knows? Perhaps he did, but that is only an assumption. In the end, he also found himself in trouble.
WHY I AM SHARING THIS STORY
I am sharing this story for crime awareness, so that we can understand crimes committed in the past, learn from their consequences and take our personal decisions seriously.
You can search for his popular song, “Gemann Highlife in G Major,” on YouTube.
You may recognise the song without realising he was the musician behind it.
You can also find his books on Apple Books by searching for “Dr. G’ Love Gemann.
The source links are arranged according to the events in this story in the comment section.
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