The police in Ekiti State has arrested a woman, Bukola Olusegun, for allegedly setting her hubby, Abimbola Olusegun, 32, ablaze for not taking her out on lovers’ day.
It was gathered that Olusegun, a commercial driver, hails from Ado Ekiti and lives in Idolofin area of Ado Ekiti.
He had at about 6pm on Valentine’s Day returned home to meet his wife, Bukola, who was already boiling and getting set for a face-off with her hubby.
Eyewitnesses said they first overheard them exchanging hot words before tragedy struck.
A close neighbour said: “It was midnight that the husband suddenly ran out from his apartment and cried for help, raising the alarm that his wife had set him ablaze.
“He was burning and was battling with the fire his wife had put on him.
“We had to rush out to rescue him by quickly getting water and pouring it on him.
“But for the prompt intervention of some of us, he would have been burnt to ashes.
“He was thereafter rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, where he is still being treated.”
The neighbour said the incident was reported to the Ado Central Divisional Police Station.
The victims could still not talk as at press time.
It was observed that almost all his entire body has been burnt and he was bandaged all over.
A member of staff in the hospital attending to him, who wished not to be mentioned, said the primary target of Abimbola’s assault might be his penis as the organ had been badly burnt due to the attack.
The victim’s mother, Folake Olusegun, said that all her son could say was that his wife was angry that he did not take her out for fun on Valentine day.
She lamented that this caused a serious misunderstanding between them, prompting the wife to set him ablaze.
She said: “My son said he dared his wife, saying she cannot do that and suddenly she poured petrol on him and also threw the fire on him.”
The woman said his son’s wife had been accusing him of cheating on her and that she has been reporting this to his family for sometime.
But a relation to the victim, who didn’t want her name in print, said Bukola could not have set her husband ablaze.
He said: “I know her very well.
“She might be upset for not being treated well by her hubby on that day, but she couldn’t have gone to the level of setting the hubby ablaze.
“May be it was just some kind of an accident in the house.
“Bukola isn’t really capable of committing such terrible act.”
The Police Public Relations Officer of the state, Albert Adeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said Abimbola’s wife had confessed to committing the crime.
Adeyemi said she allegedly confessed setting him ablaze because she was angry her husband did not celebrate the Valentine’s Day with her.
He said: “According to the Divisional Crime Officer, Ado Central Divisional Police Station, the woman set her husband ablaze because he didn’t celebrate the Valentine with her or take her out for fun during the lovers’ day celebration.”
The PPRO said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigations on the matter is concluded.
Our correspondent was not allowed to speak with the suspect who is still in police custody.
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