Several Reasons Ibinabo Fiberesima Lost Her Manslaughter Appeal Case.

"Ibinabo was never remorseful, they brought her to meet me shortly after my brother's death in GRA 

Ikeja before my return to the USA, but her only concern then was to drop the charges against her". "I advised her to apologise publicly to the masses and to the family

and throw herself to the mercy of the court. She said and I quote "I can't do that, because it is going to damage my career", were the words of Biola Giwa-Adeyemi who is a sister to the Late Dr. Giwa who died on the spot after an accident with Ibinabo   Fiberesima . 

This clearly shows that  it takes years and even decades to build one's career , but irony of it is that it might take just a micro-second to ruin everything. Ibinabo Fiberesima is an ex-beauty queen and  the former President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). 

Ibinabo on 26 February  2006, while driving along Lekki Epe Express way with a jeep which belonged to singer Danny Wilson collided and killed Dr Giwa (Medical Director and Head Of Department of Physical Rehabilitation Medicine at the General a Hospital Lagos) who was coming back from a meeting in Ajah with his younger brother (driving), Ibinabo was rumoured to have fled the scene of the accident, taking her car licence plate and car registration out of the car , without attending to the victim, while it took the efforts of the State Department of Transport who traced the jeep to the owner Danny Wilson, with the help of the car's VIN number . The case was charged  to a Magistrate Court by the Prosecutor (Lagos State Department Of Public Prosecution) with Ibinabo facing charges of reckless driving and manslaughter. Ibinabo was found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N100,000, by the Magistrate Court in Lagos (Magistrate O.A Issac), a fine she quickly paid. 

Not one to accept defeat , the DPP took the case to a High Court sitting in Lagos (Justice Deborah Oluwayemi) which overturned  the option of fine by the the junior court, sentencing her to five years imprisonment and ordering that the paid fine be refunded her . Ibinabo spent three weeks behind bars and was granted bail to attend her trial at the Appeal Court after her lawyers appealed the judgement of the High Court. Again, the Appeal Court on March 11, upheld the judgement of the High Court and ruled in favour of the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) .Ibinabo's lawyers  have once again taken the case to the Supreme Court which at present is yet to decide. 

As if that wasn't enough, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on March 23, struck out the ex-beauty queen and the AGN Board Of Trustee's  suit challenging the nullification of the election that brought them to office as the AGN President and Board of Trustee members . The court went further to  declare the Emeka Ike led Exco as the only authentic and lawful AGN leaders . 

With all these judgements going against her, it is safe to say that Ibinabo has currently lost it. 

As a woman with children to train, the main losers of her imprisonment would be her children who will miss her motherly care and her love in a difficult world, but one is left to reflect if the case could have been different if Ibinabo publicly apologised to the world and the family of the decreased . A public press conference or a national daily sponsored apology statement would have done her case a lot of good as it would have portrayed her as one truly remorseful for her misgivings . On the other hand, Ibinabo did not help herself by actively attending social societal events and once again being actively involved in acting a few months after the incident . She could have been better off staying  underground  for a while to show a little degree of guilt. She portrayed the attitude of one who had everything under control and this has turned round to hunt her. 

Finally, one might be tempted to ask if Ibinabo deserves time behind bars or better still be discharged and acquitted. The only moral Of the lesson is that the case of Ibinabo Fiberesima is like that of one who had everything but lost it in a micro-second.