The police have revealed that Abimbola Ogbonna, the late spouse of Ikechukwu ‘IVD’ Ogbonna, had filed a formal complaint expressing concerns for her safety. Before her tragic passing, she had reported to the police that her husband had threatened her life.
This information was presented by the police in an Ikeja high court on a Monday, as they reaffirmed their commitment to seeking justice for Abimbola.
According to NAN reports, Fetuga Olatunji informed Judge Modupe Nicole-Clay that Abimbola Ogbonna had written a formal petition to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Zone 2 headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, against her husband, who is an auto dealer.
Ikechukwu is currently facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in court, with the prosecution led by the Lagos state government. IVD, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Late Abimbola Ogbonna Case Taken Seriously By The Nigeria Police.
Olatunji testified that the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for the zone had instructed his team to investigate the case. He stated, “The AIG gave a directive to arrest the defendant (Ikechukwu) for attempted murder, threats to life, domestic violence, and behavior likely to cause a breach of the peace.”
“When we learned that the matter was reported at the Ajah Police Station, a signal was sent to transfer both the case file and the suspect to the zonal headquarters. We obtained a statement from Abimbola’s mother due to her poor health,” he continued.
“However, two days later, as we awaited the transfer of the case file and the suspect to Zone 2, we received news of Abimbola’s death. At that point, the AIG ordered that the matter should be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti for a thorough investigation.”
During cross-examination by Victor Ogunde, the defendant’s counsel, Olatunji explained, “We didn’t produce a report because we hadn’t completed our investigation.”
Nicole-Clay admitted several documents presented by the prosecution, including a certified true copy of the petition and a copy of the signal sent to the Ajah police station.
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In a case marked LD/21055C/2023, the state government is charging the auto dealer with involuntary manslaughter and causing his wife’s death through threats. The government accuses Ikechukwu of causing Abimbola’s death through a fire incident at their Lekki residence.
These alleged offenses are in violation of Sections 217 and 229 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Abimbola Ogbonna, also known as Bimbo, passed away in October the previous year. Her sister has also accused IVD of being responsible for her death. In February, the car dealer was detained by the state magistrate court in Ebute Meta in a judgment issued by Adebayo Kafayat Tella.
