The family of the late Abimbola Martins-Ogbonna, who died in a fire incident allegedly instigated by her husband, Ikechukwu Daryl Ogbonna, has accused the police of cover-up, intimidation and attempt to force the family into an out-of-court settlement with Ogbonna.
The family also accused a retired commissioner of police (names withheld) of being the one behind Ogbonna in his latest antics and the attempt to coerce the family into settlement even as the family said Ogbonna referred to the same former senior officer as his “godfather” in one of his statements.
It claimed that when Ogbonna bolted immediately after his wife was involved in the fire mishap, which eventually killed her, he was actually holed up in the former police boss’s house.
They also alleged that the police have changed Ogbonna’s charges from ‘manslaughter’ to ‘negligence’ so as to make it easily bailable.
Bimbo, as fondly called by family and friends, succumbed to the injuries she sustained in a fire incident on October 12 during a scuffle with her husband. She died three days later on October 15.
Speaking with the press in their Lagos home on Monday, the Martins said their matriarch and mother of the deceased, Mrs Comfort Martins, was on Friday, December 24, 2022, arrested by the police on the orders of Ogbonna who, in a petition to the police, accused the old woman of stealing her $20,000 when she came to his house.
Wisdom Martins, the spokesperson for the family, who was also arrested with Mrs Comfort Martins, said it was not only unfortunate but laughable that Ogbonna would come with such a ridiculous accusation.
“It was all trumped-up charges to intimidate the family and change the narrative,” he maintained.
The family said a team of experts including the police, the department for domestic violence in Lagos State and the fire department all went to inspect the crime scene.
“They had to take him to accompany them because the first time they went, and we were not there then, the house was locked.
“So, the breaking of the house to do the examination and forensics was done in his presence as Ogbonna lives in a gated estate and only permission from him could grant any visitor or family member access to the estate. So let it be on record that the only time Mama and other members of our family went to IK’s house was that day. So how Mama or any of us had access to his house to steal money is not just stupid but a figment of his imagination,” he said.
Martins said immediately after the incident and even days before his sister died, Ogbonna was nowhere to be found, only to do a voice note that he did not abscond but was running around to raise money for hospital bills; adding that he was all that time hiding in the former police commissioner’s house.
