Auto dealer, Ikechukwu Ogbonna, popularly known as IVD, was on Monday, March 20, arraigned before Justice Nicole-Clay of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over the alleged manslaughter of his late wife Abimbola, who died in a fire incident at their residence in the Lekki area of the state in October 2022.
The Lagos state government charged IVD to court on one count of involuntary manslaughter in suit No LD/21055C/23. At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday March 20, the prosecuting counsel, Adeshola Bello, told the court that there was a mix-up in the date the alleged offence was committed.
“We have on record October 10 but the date was October 12,” Bello said.
The prosecution counsel then urged the court to grant the prosecution permission to enable them to make an amendment, which the court granted. He told the court that the alleged offence committed contravened Section 229 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
When the charges were read to him, IVD pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Victor Ogunde, SAN, sought bail for the defendant. While seeking bail for the defendant, the judge asked why he was bringing a bail application despite the fact that the defendant was on bail since March 1. The defence counsel replied that the suit against his client was with a different charge number.
Consequently, Justice Nicole-Clay adjourned the case till March 30, May 24 and 25, 2023, for the commencement of trial.