IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Bimbo, the wife of popular car dealer, Ikechukwu Ogbonna, known better as IVD, is battling for her life after suffering severe burns during an episode of domestic violence on Wednesday.
The violent incident occurred at their residence in Megamound Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
A source reports: “We are praying fervently that she doesn’t d#e. We were rejected by almost 10 hospitals but thank God we were able to find one that accepted to treat her. She couldn’t talk as at when I was with her at the hospital.
“Can you imagine that IVD almost str@ngled me for attempting to help his wife? He threw her out of his car and zoomed off. We’ve been trying to reach him on phone and he isn’t answering his phone calls. Bimbo’s family members are here and are seriously worried over the present state of their daughter.”
According to reports, on Wednesday evening, Bimbo had set herself ablaze after being beaten by her husband.
It is reported that she had been enduring domestic violence for the 22 years of their marriage.
Sources claimed Bimbo confronted her husband IVD on Wednesday, 12 October, 2022, over the constant beatings she receives, and a fight ensued.
Neighbours claim they heard Bimbo’s screams during the fight which resulted in their house being set ablaze.
IVD was said to have escaped with minor burns while Bimbo suffered severe burns and was rushed to the intensive care unit last night.
A viral video shows her groaning in pain as she was rushed to the hospital. She was rejected by multiple hospitals before one accepted to treat her.
This comes three years after the domestic abuse she’s been suffering was made public.
In May 2019, Bimbo regained consciousness after she was allegedly beaten to coma by her husband during pregnancy. She was 8 months pregnant at the time.
Then, on October 4, 2020, IVD released a video of him reconciling with his wife days after she released an exposé explaining how she suffered domestic violence from him for 19 years.
After that, she returned online at other times to hint at still suffering abuse.
In January 2022, Bimbo declared herself “mentally unstable” and said her life is “being destroyed”.
She also added that she entered into her marriage with “good intention” but she has suffered so much in the union, adding that she had “wanted this marriage to end a long time ago”.
In the January post, she also recalled how she is the only one among the seven children her parents had who is not a graduate because she paused her life for IVD.
Bimbo was said to still be a teenager when she and IVD started a family. Friends say she was just 15.
Also, in one of her posts online, Bimbo said IVD had repeatedly pointed his gun at her in the presence of their kids. She said he cheated on her regularly and beat her often too.
Despite speaking about suffering abuse on social media, Bimbo stayed in the marriage.
The latest development on the couple spread fast like fire on Twitter.
A tweep, @kams_enyinye who felt there’s more to the story than it’s been revealed, said: “Why do I feel this IVD guy burnt his wife and cooked up a story? How can you she start a fire and is the only one that got burnt beyond recognition and then have to jump into the pool to get away from same fire. So she didn’t make plans for herself before starting the fire???”
Another Twitter user, @principe_viii wrote: “This IVD and Bimbo story is crazy. Bad marriages are honestly the worst. God abeg make person marry well.”
Reacting to @principe_viii’s tweet, Ezinne said: “He will still apologize with G-wagon and Gucci😂”
@principe_viii however doesn’t find it funny and calls the tweep out saying: “It’s really sad that it’s even funny to you to begin with.
Ezinne replied @principe_viii: “I actually had empathy and pity in 2020 She went back!!! That is my bone of contention… the emoji aside tho”
The back-and-forth continued and @principe_viii said: “Yes, like a lot of them do for reasons unbeknownst to both of us, assuming the reason she did was solely because of his money is just weird.
“Really weird to assume that every woman in an abusive marriage with a rich man is there solely for the money, throwing out all other factors just because money is involved. This Bimbo & IVD, 22 years together, started dating when she was a teenager and you think money is it all?”
Emeka Aguin on his part blamed the wife, Bimbo for the abuse in the marriage. According to the Twitter user, the husband is weak and should have left the marriage.
In his own words: “So this guy IVD stoooopidly stayed with this aggressive woman and didn’t want to leave. I blame these weak Nigerian men for the actions of their women. She wanted him dead because she know she’s finished and want to take him along with her. Good for him. Weak men.
“Despicable people. That women know she’s finished so she want to take him with her. Dude should have left the crazy woman long ago.. again, it serves him right, that’s what weak men deserve. You don’t live in a house with a crazy woman..”
@anthony_fedora said wife beaters never change. The tweep compared IVD and Bimbo’s case to Osinachi Nwachukwu who was beaten by her husband till she was rushed to the hospital and eventually lost her life.
She wrote: “Let me forgive him this last time, he has promised to change.
“Wife beaters never change. Osinachi the gospel singer died believing and praying for change, now IVD’s wife is burnt beyond recognition whilst trying to make something out of a useless husband she’s stayed with since she was 15. The same husband that beat her to coma while she was 8 months pregnant and had a child outside wedlock.
“Better a divorced woman alive than a married dead woman. Leave while you still can.”