A Lagos State Magistrate Court has remanded, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbonna, husband of late Mrs Bimbo Ogbonna in prison on a charge of alleged manslaughter.
Bimbo died following severe burns inflicted on her in a fire incident at their home while her husband rather than call for rescue was seen video recording the burning house from outside the premises.
Despite this sad development, Mr. Ogbonna was still allowed to breathe the air of freedom until Men Against Rape Foundation (MARF) raised alarm on November 24, 2022 vide a press conference held in Abuja.
At the said press conference, Executive Director of MARF, Lemmy Ughegbe, had exhibited persuasive and compelling evidence sufficient for Lagos State to arrest and charge Mr. Ogbonna.
Ughegbe also decried the nonchalance of the police and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency for not responding timeously and appropriately to several formal complaints by Bimbo against her husband over serial abuses despite compelling evidence.
He also faulted the charge of negligence leveled against Ogbonna and called for a more serious charge that matches the severity of his act.
Bimbo’s family through their counsel, Barr. Odiana Eriata wrote the Lagos State command demanding a review of the charge of negligence as it fell short of expectation of law.
In what appears to be a response, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, reviewed the charge upward by slamming on Mr. Ogbonna the charge of manslaughter punishable under Section 229 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, which i
When the matter came up today before Magistrate Court 7 presided over by
Mrs. Adebayo Kafayat Tella in the yaba magistrial district, Holden at court 7, Ebute-Metta, she ordered that Mr Ogbonna be remanded in prison until March 7.
She refused the bail request by Mr. Ogbonna’s lawyer, Abubakar Yusuf.
Ogbonna is facing a fresh charge of involuntary manslaughter contrary to section 224(b)/and punishable under section 229 of Criminal Law of Lagos state.
If found guilty, Ogbonna would be facing life imprisonment.
