Ibinabo Fiberesima Gets N2m Bail in Murder Case

 The Court of Appeal in Lagos today, Thursday 7th of April, 2016 granted, Nollywood actress Ibinabo Fiberesima, a N2 million bail.

While granting the bail with two sureties in like sum, the appellate court ruled that Ms. Fiberesima bail application had merit. In a two-one split judgment, the court held that Ms. Fiberesima had not jumped bail in the past.

The court also stated that it exercised its discretion in the actress’s favour in view of her health condition.

The actress had been sentenced to five years in prison, for the murder of a Lagos Doctor.

Actress Ibinabo Fiberesima Opens up About Her Travails, Says She's Drained

 The mother of three, who is facing five years in prison for the death of a doctor in an accident over 10 years ago, has talked about her travails. Speaking Ibinabo said;

"Since the incident happened, I have learnt how not to trust anybody any more. I put my trust now in the Lord. And this is better explained in the new song I recorded. The music captures my story. Emotionally, I have been drained and to some extent humiliated, even in public…I wasn’t happy that I was involved in that accident. I have said it over and over again that I’m deeply sorry that it ever happened. I don’t know how else to atone for the accident. I started begging my victim’s family from the day the accident happened.

My family attended the funeral rites and service of songs and I even attended the 40 days prayer when I was strong enough to move about. I met with the mother and the wife of the deceased. There’s virtually nothing I didn’t do to plead with the family of the deceased to let me off the hook. I’m still pleading with them as I speak with you right now.” She said this some years ago

“I don’t have a relationship with the family. They banned me from coming to see them. I used to visit the mother, but they warned me to stop coming to their house. So, I can only pray for them and that’s what I did always.”

I have my own health challenges too. I went for a test and they found a growth- a lump in my breasts which I had to remove. So, if we don’t do these tests continuously anything can happen. We usually take our lives for granted. You must continue to go for routine medical examinations. That’s what AGN is all about. We are here to ensure that our members are properly taken care of. We can’t get our money in the bank to pay for our health insurance because they froze the account. I opened the account before the case started.” “We are back on track and everything is beginning to happen again.

'How I saved Ibinabo Fiberesima's Life On the Night Of the Accident' - Eye Witness Reveals

 An eye witness of the auto crash involving Ibnabo Fiberesima which led to the death Dr Giwa has given an account of how he saved Ibinabo on the night of the accident.

The eyewitness spoke to Charles Novia and was posted on his website

Read Below...

Nollywood has been in a state of understandable inertia since the news came out of the blues that Ibinabo Fiberesima lost her case at the Appeal Court in Lagos and was sent straight to Prison on Friday the 11th of March 2016.

A lot of people thought that the case was done with long ago and we were surprised that it had cropped up again with the implications of a five year jail term for Ibinabo.

And the reactions thus far have not been in anyway hostile to the Court’s judgement. Not at all. The industry is enlightened enough to bow to the ruling of the law and respect it as it behoves on everyone. The collective shock expressed is because Ibinabo is a beautiful soul. She’s one of us. And one for all and all for one.

With opinions divided in the public sphere over the judgement, it has been saddening to read uninformed comments by lots of people about the case and some vitriol on the person of Ibinabo by many who don’t even know her. Of course, everyone would have an opinion and that cannot be taken from anyone. But such terms which ring of untruths that ‘she was drunk that night and coming from a night club’ or ‘she killed someone’ are absolutely untrue. It’s quite sad that we have no investigative journalists anymore or that truth these days battle with coloured lies and no one does anything about it.

In the past few days, Nollywood and Entertainment chat groups on whatsapp  ( and there are many but credible ones I belong to) have been brainstorming on what next to do in this case. The law is the law and of course it is a possibility that Ibinabo would be behind bars for some time while everyone make efforts to take the next legal options to help her. But the entertainment industry has never been this united in showing sympathy and solidarity for one of us.unprecedented.  And so with chat groups proferring ideas on what to do next ( with high profile celebrity visits already carried out to Kirikiri to reassure Ibinabo by over fifty celebrities on Sunday the 13th of March) someone sent a munched shot of the instagram page of the daughter of the late Doctor Giwa who was reacting to Ibinabo’s son’s public plea for prayers for his mother. The munched shot showed that the daughter was understandably bitter and pained by her father’s death but to many who read it in the chat group, it betrayed a lack of the real facts and had a one – sided narrative which accused Ibinabo of ‘being drunk from a night club outing’ and ‘running away from the scene of the accident’ after it happened. I also read the open letter of the sister of late Doctor who understandably gave an emotionally – charged one-sided narrative of what she believes happened and ended her letter by applauding the Justice system for vindicating her understandable anger towards Ibinabo for the past eleven years.

There’s a saying in Pidgin English which says ‘na talk dey bring talk’ and what happened thereafter this week is the stuff movies are made of. No pun intended. It was totally unexpected.

One of the most important personalities in Nollywood in the chat group, obviously distressed at the wrong notion about Ibinabo by the deceased daughter blurted out that ‘you know, Guys? There are facts of the case which I know and which haven’t come to light all these years. My brother was an eye witness and saw all what happened that night’

The reaction was one of stunned questions. And immediately, I made the decision to interview the eye witness to find out what he really saw and what it was that happened which the public may not have heard these years. I decided to do this as a public service responsibility first and also to put whatever the new facts are in the public domain for posterity to prove or dispel. And if these new revelations would help heal wounds and bring about a new dawn of forgiveness and understanding, then so be it.

I got the number of the eye witness from his sister in the chat room and called him. Now, let me state here that this is no fiction. This fellow is real and is willing to expose himself to the public anytime to state what he saw. I have decided not to put his surname out ( even though he says he doesn’t mind) at this point in time but that doesn’t detract from the real facts of this story.

‘Good afternoon, Mr De Gaulle. Your sister gave me your number to call you to find out what happened that night. My name is Charles Novia’ I said, when he answered, my pen and recorder ready.

‘Oh ok. Yes, she told me you would call. My name is De Gaulle ( surname protected by me) You see, I’m ready to come out to testify or say whatever happened that night of the accident because it happened in my presence. I witnessed it and saw everything. We were many who saw what happened that evening and I assumed that others might have told the world what really went down but I’m surprised to read so many untrue things about what happened at the scene of the accident that evening’ He said.

‘Please go ahead, Sir. I’m taking notes and recording’ I said

‘ Ok. I saw Ibinabo a few years ago ( about six years ago) in Port Harcourt at a restaurant called Gessy ( or Jessy?). She was with some of your colleagues and my sister was there too. I told my sister that ‘Hey! That’s that girl whom I helped at the scene of the accident years ago’. My sister was surprised and called Ibinabo to meet me. And when I told her what I’m about to tell you, she was surprised and quiet for a long time.

That evening, what happened was that the Doctor’s car was coming from the Victoria Island axis of the first Lekki Roundabout which leads into the Lekki Phase One Estate, while another SUV which was being driven by Ibinabo was coming out from the estate, if I remember correctly. I cannot tell who was speeding or what but we heard a loud crash and then I think the doctors car somersaulted while the other car driven by Ibinabo was flung a few metres to the other side.

‘Was it midnight or late at night?’ I asked

‘No!’ Mr De Gaulle replied with much emphasis. ‘ It was early evening. There was still the last trace of evening light. It might have been just before seven o’clock or after seven. But it wasn’t late.

So what happened was that the Doctor’s car was upside down and somehow his hand was crushed and he was trapped in the car. Immediately a few Area Boys and bystanders rushed to him to try and help him out of the crushed car. I quickly parked my car and came out to help as I rushed to the doctors car. A few other cars stopped as well.

I noticed that the other car was motionless and no one really was paying much attention  to that car. What got my attention was the special number plates on the car which read ‘ DANIEL WILSON’  a popular musician in the nineties in Nigeria.

When I got to the doctor’s car, the area boys and bystanders were gathered round the car and were trying to help the man out of the car in the upturned vehicle. At that point, the man was very much alive. I swear he was alive and groaning but he was alive. His arm was crushed or underpinned by the impact of the car and I still think that it was the inexperience of the area boys and bystanders in trying to pull the man out of the car, which killed him faster.

I am sorry to say that but that is my belief because of what I saw. The people who gathered round that car may have meant well but they were also callous in responding to the emergency and were dragging at the man, trying to pull him from the crushed car.

The doctor kept crying out  ( and I heard everything clearly because I saw it and was even telling the crowd to be gentle) and was shouting ‘ No! Take it easy! I’m a doctor. Don’t pull me like that. Easy!’. I heard everything.

At this time, all attention was on the doctor. And I heard someone in the crowd say that if anything happened to the man, they would make sure the occupant in the other car suffers.

Immediately I heard that, I went to the other car because I thought it was Daniel Wilson involved from the number plates. I was surprised to see a fair-skinned lady behind the wheel, unconscious and still.  There was another lady in the car with her in the front seat. I think it was a young lady of about sixteen years or a teenager. That young lady was weeping and shaking.

After hearing what the guys at the other side had said about  the occupant of the car, my first instinct was to get them to safety or to the hospital. I asked the young lady ‘ is there anyone you can call to take you people to the hospital? You and this woman have to leave this place now and get to a hospital’

I helped stop a taxi and helped carry the unconscious Ibinabo to the car and the taxi took them away.

Then I now returned to the other car of the late Doctor. When I got there, another set of cars full of some doctors had arrived the scene. The doctors said they were coming from some kind of meeting or event near the beach or somewhere near if I remember and that the bleeding occupant of the car was their colleague whom they had seen earlier.

By the time I got back, the car had been turned to a standing position but I believe it was too late for the injured person in that car at that point.’

‘ So you say the doctor in the car was alive when the accident happened?’ I asked.

‘ He was. There was no immediate emergency care to help him from competent medical personnel as what would obtain today and the crowd tried to help him out and he was calling out in pain. It was sad and painful. So when I saw Ibinabo a couple of years later in Port-Harcourt and told her that I was the person who removed her from the car and put her in a taxi, she was speechless and quaky. She too could have died that evening. She didn’t run away from the scene of the accident at all. I was the person who put her in a taxi to a hospital ‘

‘Why did it take you such a long time to come out to tell this story?’ I asked

‘ I have been in and out of Nigeria these past ten years. And I actually thought too that the case was done with all this while. I was surprised to hear that she was just sent to jail. Look, it was an unfortunate thing which happened. And I am ready at anytime, ANYTIME if I am called upon to testify on what I saw. It happened before my eyes. If my testimony would help put facts straight, I am ready’.

I got in touch with Daniel Wison who corroborated that Ibinabo drove his SUV that night in question. ‘She’s my sister. We are from the same state and local government. It was the week of my mother’s burial and Ibinabo had come from Port-Harcourt to help me with the burial. She was wonderful and really supportive. That day, she needed the car to get to somewhere on the island and I asked her to pick any from the pool of cars in my compound. I was surprised when I got a call a couple of hours later that there was an accident. I rushed to the hospital, St Nicholas, and she was unconscious. But when she came out of it, she was delirious and traumatised. She was shaky. Look Charles, Ibinabo is a gentle soul. It was unfortunate that the accident happen but it was not intentional in anyway. And we have been begging the family of the late doctor. Who said we haven’t begged? I personally, made numerous visits to the house to see the widow and elders of the family. We attended the burial of the doctor. I was there. We begged and begged. Not because we think begging could bring the man back but just because it’s human nature to forgive. So, it’s not true that we remained aloof’ Daniel concluded.

It’s been much of a nagging battle for me to decide if I should put out this story or not. The initial hesitation was borne out of the fact that many people would misconstrue the new testimony as somewhat of a convenient revelation just to help a colleague, seeing that we are in the same industry.

But at the end of my internal consideration, a part of me decided to put it out anyway. First, to record a new chronicle of the whole sad accident which millions, including me, never knew happened. It’s better to be on the side of history which stands for true reportage of events in this case. And since Mr De Gaulle is very willing to give his account to any reporter or law enforcement agent for some measure of revision, I am prepared too to give out his number to members of the fourth estate of the realm and even the late doctor’s family to find out more from the fellow himself.

Finally, I have always maintained that we all are bound by the laws of our society. Ibinabo is serving a sentence passed by a law court and we respect that. We sympathise with her and as an industry would share the comfort between her and the family of the late Doctor.

But the final closure of this matter, beyond the law and prison sentence she would serve, rests on the family of the late Dr Giwa really. Now that there is a final vindication, as gleamed from the letter by the late doctor’s  sister, what happens after Ibinabo serves her sentence? Would the family carry the hurt till the end of time?

A platform for reconciliation and forgiveness has to be set in motion. This is not just about the law now but about healing. Healing. Healing for all parties.

Jailed Actress, Ibinabo Fiberisima's Bail Application Suffers Setback

 Nollywood actress and former beauty queen Ibinabo Fiberesima, who is currently serving a five-year jail term for manslaughter, was denied bail today by the Court of Appeal in Lagos.

 Even after one Victor Eden, in a six-paragraph affidavit of urgency stated that Ms. Fiberesima is currently recovering from a breast tumor-removal surgery and requires medical attention.

Victor had said:

“Her wound has not fully healed and as such she is afraid that her continued stay in prison may endanger her life, as she will not have access to special medical attention.''

The deponent stated further that it would be in the interest of justice and for her health to admit Ms. Fiberesima to bail pending the hearing and determination of her appeal to the Supreme Court.

Ibinabo was sentenced by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of a Lagos High Court, for reckless driving and causing death. She was alleged to have recklessly driven a car which resulted in an accident along the Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos, causing the death of one Giwa Suraj. The deceased was said to be a staff of a Lagos State government hospital.

Today, the three-man panel of judges, headed by Justice U.I. Ndukwe-Anyanwu, ruled that Ibinabo's bail application was incomplete, as she failed to attach to her application, copies of the judgment affirming the five-year jail sentence imposed on her by a Lagos High Court.

Presiding Justice Ndukwe-Anyanwu said the only option left was to strike out the application or adjourn it to a further date for a hearing.

Consequently, Nnaemeka Amaechina, Ms. Fiberesima's counsel, asked for an adjournment to enable him to correct the bail application. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to April 7.

Meanwhile, Ms. Fiberesima asked the Supreme Court to set aside the judgement of the lower court that was affirmed by the appellate court.

In her notice of appeal, she stated that the Court of Appeal erred when it affirmed the alteration by the High Court of Lagos State by setting aside the option of a N100,000 fine and substituting it with a prison term of five years.

The appellant further stated that the Court of Appeal erred when it affirmed the interference by the High Court with the exercise of discretion by the Magistrate's Court.

Ms. Fiberesima added that the judgment of the Court of Appeal was unreasonable and could not be supported, with regard to the evidence presented before the court.

Justice at Last! - Sister of Late Doctor Killed in Accident Caused by Ibinabo Fiberesima Writes

 Biola Giwa-Adeyemi is late Dr Giwa's sister and she wanted to shed more light on the case between Ibinabo Fiberersima Vs Lagos State. Read below...

 First of all, the case was between Lagos state Government Vs Ibinabo Febresima but not Giwa Vs Ibinabo Febresima. On this faithful day of Feb 26th 2006 along the Lekki Epe Express way, my late brother Dr Giwa was driving with his brother and another family friend in his car coming from a meeting in Ajah, they were held up in a traffic around the evening time, when this tragic accident happened.

 Ibinabo was driving towards Lekki while the late Dr Giwa was coming from the other direction facing towards Island, just by shop-rite, when ibinabo's jeep flipped and lost control from her lane jumped over the culvert or pavement  that demarcate the road from the on coming vehicle. The speed that skipped and flipped a jeep  over the road demarcation will be considered "Reckless and Endangerment" because the VIO dept checked the jeep brakes, the engine and all the mechanical and electrical of the jeep but the result shows nothing wrong with the jeep and confirm that the accident as due to "OVER SPEEDING" in which the result was on record.

 After the accident, Ibinabo left the scene of the accident without checking for any survivors, she took the license plate and registration out of the car and fled from the scene, that was considered "HIT AND RUN". The people at the scene of the accident recognized her as Ibinabo Febresima, and stated she was drunk."Driving Under Influence" of whatever she had.

 The State Department of Transportation has to use the VIN number to locate the Owner of the jeep, in which the owner was Daniel Wilson. That was my very first time of hearing the name of Ibinabo Febresima. The Doctor died at the scene of the accident because the jeep was on top of the Honda accord driven by him and they couldn't save him on time because of the seat belt and the weight of the jeep, the brother and the other family friend in that car had survived. Did she know the state of mind and the emotional instability of the people involved in that accident up till now, Ibinabo has never been in a Comma.

 After all the evidences against her, with the result of the VIO by the State department of Transportation, The DPP office took over and charged her to court and she hired Festus Kiamo in which after reviewing the case he withdrew by saying he cannot represent her because it's a bad case.

 Doctor Giwa has a living mother for goodness sake, wife with 3 children's, Ibinabo deprived him from seeing his children graduate from university and getting married, also from being the one to bury his mother at her old age, "Whereas no one ever prayed that on the day of their children's success and happiness they should replaced them with someone else".

 Ibinabo was never remorseful, they brought her to meet with me shortly after my brother's death in GRA Ikeja before my return back to the USA, but her only concern then was to drop the charges against her. I told her that it's not my family Vs her but the State Vs her, that where I come from in USA that we do not interfere with the justice system, that they should do their job and advise her to apologize publicly to the masses and to the family and throw herself to the mercy of the court.

 She said and l quote "I CAN'T DO THAT, BECAUSE IS GOING TO DAMAGE MY CAREER" what an ego, she cannot apologize publicly, I feel like kicking her ass. She's worried about her stupid career, What happened to the career of the Doctor, who happened to be a 'MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL REHABILITATION MEDICINE AT GENERAL HOSPITAL LAGOS.

 People say there is no justice in Nigeria, but it does once in awhile. The lower court magistrate O.A Isaac found her guilty with the option of 100,000.00 Naira, which is considered a judicial recklessness, 100k does not even buy an iPad, the life of someone does not worth more that 100k, so that people will take the liberty of committing crimes. 

 Later Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of the High court find her guilty and overturn the option of fine and gave her 5 yrs in prison, she spent 3 weeks and came out on bail to go to Court of Appeal, however, how can a convicted person came out on bail, here in USA you will be in jail and they will transport you to and from each time you have an hearing. Finally Appeal court found her guilty and sentence her to 5 years imprisoned. 

 Let her face the wrath, it is said that you can run but can't hide, it's a law of Kama that catch up, This will serve as a deterrent to others. Who will believe after 10yrs she will still be slammed, The Family of the late Dr Giwa had moved on with our life's, She was forgiven, it was very difficult and painful, but God gave us especially his mother and children the fortitude to bear the loss.

 On behalf of our families and friends, we really thank the Lagos State Government, The attorney general Mr Sasore, DPP Mrs Odutola and colleagues, Justice Deborah Oluwayemi, Justice Jamilu Yammama Tukur, Justice U.I Udukwe-Anyawu and Justice Tijani Abubakar and everyone for their support, no evil shall befall anyone, as you all go out and come in, may God's grace and protection abide with each and everyone. 'JUSTICE AT LAST' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  JUSTICE AT LAST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  JUSTICE IS FINALLY DONE !!!!!!!!!!!!. 

"IBINABO HAS NEVER PAID A DIME TO ANY FAMILY MEMBER OF THE LATE DR GIWA AS INDICATED BY HER FRIEND'S, AND IF SHE DID PAY ANY FAMILY MEMBER, SHE NEEDS TO START MENTIONING NAMES NOW".

Ibinabo Fiberesima's Son Writes Emotional Open Letter, Asks Nigerians to Pray For His Mum As She Faces Jail

 Sean Coughlan, the first son of actress and AGN president, Ibinabo Fiberesima, who is facing 5 years in prison after losing an appeal to overturn her 5 year jail sentence by a High Court over an accident that happened 11 years ago that took a man's life.

 Ibinabo was charged with dangerous and reckless driving. Her son is now asking Nigerians to pray for his mum in an open letter he released yesterday. Read after the cut...

People of Nigeria, This is Sean, first and proud son of Ibinabo Fiberesima, I write on here today to plead with all Nigerians to pray for my mother. She is going through the toughest of times right now, and so are we, her family. I’ve been reading heartbreaking comments on her matter that ‘she thinks she’s above the law’, ‘she doesn’t feel sorry for the family of the deceased’, ‘she was drunk and deserves this punishment’, let me get a few things straight with you now.

My mother is the most humble woman I know, I was not aware she was a celebrity until I was about 14 and that’s only because my uncle told me, she does not see herself or act as if she is above any other person. She is a proud Nigerian who loves her country and its people.

Secondly, she has been carrying heartbreak around with her for the past 11 years after the accident. She understands the pain for the deceased family and is very hurt about what happened herself. She has tried her utter most to console with the Family, so don’t ever think she does not care.

Thirdly she was not drunk, the charges are reckless and dangerous driving, first of all I refuse to believe my mother was driving recklessly or dangerous, as I’ve been in a car with her countless times and nothing has happened.

On this occasion it was unfortunate, she was unlucky, her car flipped over which happens to a number of cars and another car smashed into her. She was in a comma for days, she could have easily lost her life, but thankfully, by Gods strength only she survived.

She did not set out that day trying to kill someone or herself. Right now my mother is broken, and needs the prayer and support of all Nigerians, so please put all your conspiracies about this matter aside, I know it’s between her and God now.

Join us, myself, Craig her son who is 14, Malcolm and Brian her other sons and her beautiful Daughter Zino who is just 8, and the rest of her family, to pray for my Mother. Let God decide what is just and what is not. Whatever your religion, join us and Pray for my mother as well as the family of the deceased. We can all get through this but not without God.

Thank you for reading, may God bless you all.”

Appeal Court Adjourns Ruling in Murder Case Against Actress Ibinabo Fiberesima

 An appeal court sitting in Lagos State has adjourned for judgement the appeal filed by star actress and former beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberesima challenging the judgement of a Lagos High Court which sentenced her to five years imprisonment for causing the death of a Lagos medical doctor, Giwa Suraj. 

 The embattled actress was sentenced to five years imprisonment for reckless driving which caused the death of one Dr. Giwa Suraj in an auto accident along Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos State.

 The deceased was a staff of one of Lagos state owned hospitals. Fiberesima was fined N100, 000 by an Igbosere Chief Magistrate Mr. O.A. Isaacs but the then Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of justice, Olasupo Sasore (SAN), felt unsatisfied with the judgement and appealed.

 This prompted the state government to take its case to the Lagos High Court. At the Lagos high court, Justice Oluwayemi set aside the option of fine imposed by the Magistrate’s Court and sentenced Fiberesima to five years imprisonment for dangerous and reckless driving. 

 In her judgment, Justice Oluwayemi held that the trial Magistrate exercised judicial recklessness when he gave the convict an option of fine. The court held that the option of N100, 000 given to the convict did not serve the purpose of justice in the matter and subsequently ordered that the N100, 000 should be returned back to Ibinabo Fiberesima. Dissatisfied with the judgement of the high court, Fiberesima came before the Court of Appeal and urged the court to set aside the five year sentence and restore the decision of the Magistrate Court. At the hearing of the appeal today, the appellate court presided over by Justice U.I. Ndukwe-Anyanwu (Mrs.) adjourned for judgement in the appeal after counsel adopted their written addresses. 

 The court also directed that the appellant (Fiberesima) who was not in court should appear in court when judgement is to be delivered, adding that, the date will be communicated to the parties.