Ibinabo Faces Jail As Appeal Court Upholds 5 Years Jail Term For Reckless Driving

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has upheld the judgement of a Lagos High Court which sentenced star actress and AGN PRESIDENT, Ibinabo Fiberesima to five years’ imprisonment for the death of one Dr Giwa Suraj. Thereby dismissed the appeal filed by the former beauty queen challenging the earlier judgement which was delivered by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi.

Recall that Ibinabo Fiberesima was involved in an auto crash in 2005, along the Lekki-Epe expressway, which claimed the life of one Dr Giwa Suraji, who was a  staff at Lagos state's hospital. The case was taken to to court by the family of the deceased and a Magistrate Court, (court of first instance) in her judgement, sentenced the appellant to a five years in prison with an option of N100,000 fine for the offence.
However, the Lagos State Government who felt unsatisfied with the fine option awarded to the appellant, took the case to Lagos High Court for an interpretation . The Lagos High court headed by Justice Oluwayemi, then quashed the N100,000 fine by the Magistrate Court and sentenced the actress to a five years' imprisonment. The court further berated the Magistrate Court for recklessness in judgement and ordered a refund of the earlier fine.This made the actress to approach the Court of Appeal through her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, urging the court to set aside the five year sentence.

Therefore, on Thursday, the appellate court presided by Justice U.I. Ndukwe-Anyanwu, quashed her appeal and reserved the judgement of the Lagos High Court.
Her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, while speaking on the judgement, said that the judgment would be challenged at the Supreme Court adding that a Notice of Appeal had already been filed. There is a possibility that Ibinabo might spend at least, five years in a prison if they fail at the Supreme Court.