“Ikenna Erinne Held Family Hostage Before Suicide” – Father-In-Law, Francis Van-Lare

Francis Van-Lare, the father of Suzette Chibugo, has spoken out amid accusations that his daughter played a role in the tragic death of her ex-husband, Dr. Ikenna Erinne, a U.S.-based Nigerian cardiologist.

Dr. Ikenna Erinne’s death has sparked widespread debate, with reports suggesting he took his own life due to financial strain after being ordered to pay $15,000 in monthly child support.

However, new details indicate a far more alarming sequence of events.

In a Facebook post, Francis Van-Lare said before ending his life, Erinne allegedly held his ex-wife and their children hostage at gunpoint for three hours.

The father-in-law claimed that after losing a court battle, the cardiologist became desperate, and when police arrived at the scene, he turned the gun on himself.

He further claimed that Erinne was facing three charges of kidnapping with a deadly weapon, each carrying a possible sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Despite the controversy surrounding the case, Van-Lare expressed sympathy for Erinne’s family, while firmly defending his daughter against accusations of being responsible for his death.

Van-Lare, a well-known socialite, shared these revelations in response to a post by Amanda Chisom, who clarified that Erinne’s ex-wife was not a white woman, as some had speculated, but Van-Lare’s daughter.

He wrote, “Amanda Chisom posted this on her page. While there was a custody battle my daughter is involved in and I only became aware last Monday morning about 3 am Nigerian time that the deceased held her and her children at gun point for three hours after losing a custody battle, the nanny managed to escape and called the police and on arrival of the police he shot himself dead.

“I guess he decided to kill himself instead of facing three counts of kidnapping with a deadly weapon 25 years to life each.

“While I sympathize with his family for his death, my daughter is not responsible for him taking his own life and I thank God it did not degenarate to where he shoots my daughter, grand children and himself.

“May his soul rest in peace. Everyone is loser here and it is traumatizing for all including me. No winners here.”

KanyiDaily also reported how a 28-year-old man, Sani Mohammed, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for threatening the salesgirl with a machete in Abuja.