A Lagos State Magistrate Court has remanded, Mr Ikechukwu Ogbonna, widower of late Mrs Bimbo Ogbonna, in prison on a charge of alleged manslaughter.
Information has it that Bimbo died following severe burns inflicted on her in a fire incident at their home while her husband, rather than call for rescue, was allegedly seen video-recording the burning house from outside the premises.
Despite this development, Ogbonna was breathed the air of freedom until Men Against Rape Foundation (MARF) raised alarm on 24 November last year in a press conference held in Abuja. At the said press conference, MARF Executive Director, Mr Lemmy Ughegbe had exhibited persuasive and compelling evidence sufficient for Lagos police command 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 in timely manner and appropriately to several formal complaints by Bimbo against her husband over serial abuses despite compelling evidence. He also faulted the charge of negligence levelled against Ogbonna and called for a more appropriate one that matches the severity of his act.
Through their counsel, Barrister Odiana Eriata, Bimbo’s family wrote the Lagos police 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 Ogbonna the charge of manslaughter punishable under Section 229 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
When the matter came up on Tuesday before Magistrate Court 7, in the Yaba Magisterial district, the presiding officer, Mrs Adebayo Kafayat Tella ordered that Ogbonna be remanded in prison until 7 March. She refused the bail request by 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
