Lagos orders coroner inquest into celebrity car dealer IVD’s wife’s death

The State government said the findings of the investigation would be made public in due course and sanctions meted out to those culpable.

News Agency of Nigeria • October 25, 2022

The Lagos State government has ordered a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of death of Bimbo, the wife of celebrity Lagos auto dealer Ikechukwu Ogbonna, alias IVD, who allegedly died recently due to severe injuries from a fire.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Onigbanjo said that a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain the cause of Ms Bimbo’s death.

“A coroner’s inquest has immediately been requested, in line with sections 14 and 15 of the Coroners’ Systems Law, Laws of Lagos State 2015, to determine the cause and circumstances of death,” he said.

He added that findings of the investigation would be made public in due course and appropriate sanctions meted out to anyone found culpable.

“By section 14(1)(d) of the Coroners’ System Law of the State: “A report of death shall be made to any of the agencies for the report of death or the office of the Coroner and be subject to post-mortem examination where there is reasonable cause to believe that the cause of death was: violent, unnatural or suspicious.

“Section 15(1) and (9) further enjoins the Coroner to hold an inquest whenever he or she is informed that the death of the deceased person was in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation or believes an inquest is desirable following the report of a reportable death,” he said.

The commissioner noted that as a government, the security and well-being of citizens were of utmost importance, assuring the public that everything would be done to ensure that the cause of death was known.

The attorney-general also charged the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) to assist the police and other law enforcement agencies in investigating the case and ascertaining the cause of death of the late Bimbo, which had attracted wide media attention.

The executive secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, also reiterated the state government’s resolve to ensure perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence crimes were brought to face the full wrath of the law.

Ms Vivour-Adeniyi also urged residents to report domestic and sexual violence cases to the DSVA office in Alausa, Ikeja.

Ms Bimbo died on October 15 from the fire injuries she sustained in her matrimonial home.

(NAN)

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