Ikechukwu Ogbonna, popularly known as IVD has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the demise of his wife, Abimbola.
Lagos State Government filed a case of manslaughter charge through the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) against the celebrity car dealer, IVD before the High Court of Lagos, Ikeja.
The accusation stems from the death of his wife, Abimbola, who passed away in a fiery event at their home in the State's Lekki district on the 15th of October, 2022. Another count charge has been added to the original charge. The DPP is charging the auto dealer with involuntary manslaughter, a crime that is against Section 229 of the Lagos Criminal Law.
Ikechukwu has pleaded not guilty to the accusation, and the trial has begun before Justice Modupe Nicole-Clay. It was the late Abimbola who filed a petition against her husband before to her passing, according to DSP Fetuga Olatunji, who was led in testimony by counsel for the Lagos State Government.
DSP Olatunji said:
"The AIG gave a directive to effect the arrest of the defendant (Ikechukwu) for attempted murder, threat to life, domestic violence, and conduct likely to cause the breach of peace. When we learnt that the matter was reported at the Ajah Police Station, a signal was sent that both the case file and the suspect be transferred to the zonal headquarters.
"My team obtained a statement from Abimbola's mother because she (Abimbola) was not in the right state of health. However, two days later, and while waiting for the case file alongside the suspect to be brought to Zone 2, another information came that Abimbola had died.
"At that point, the AIG ordered that the matter should be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, for proper investigation."
The witness claimed that he and his colleagues were unable to get a report regarding the defendant (Ikechukwu) because he was nowhere to be found and that his phones were switched off during cross-examination by IVD's attorney, Victor Ogunde (SAN).
"Every concluded investigation must have a police report. The reason we didn't have a report is because the investigation on the case was not concluded by us," he said.
The case file's index, entry, minute sheet, statement of the complainant's witness, certified true copy (CTC), of the petition, and a copy of the signal to the Ajah Police Station were then admitted as exhibits by Justice Modupe Nicole-Clay.
The trial was then adjourned to December 13, 2023, by the presiding judge.
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