Ojo Joseph, a 64 year old man set ablaze his five stepchildren in Ondo town, Ondo State. The suspect was paraded at the state police command headquarters, Akure.
The suspect was reportedly said to have committed this act when the victims were asleep. This was as a result of a disagreement between the suspect and the mother of the kids. This disagreement took place at the Fagun area of Ondo town, Ondo State, last Saturday.
One of the stepchildren died immediately, whereas two others died at the hospital.
Parading the suspect, Mrs. Funmilayo, the state Police Public Relation Officer, said Mr. Joseph will be charged after investigation.
Funmilayo confirmed that three out of the five victims were confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre Owo. This was where they were receiving treatment.
Speaking, the suspect said he committed this act out of anger because his wife and her children ganged up to beat him up in his house.
In his words: “On that day (last Friday) around 7pm, I had a misunderstanding with my wife. In the process her children joined my wife to beat me up; I was even injured. That was how they were doing whenever we had any form of misunderstanding. I went to get petrol and poured into their room and put fire.
“Before this incident, my wife had stopped taking care of me. Yet, whenever we had some misunderstanding, she and her kids will gang up and beat me up.”
Mr. Liadi Akinfolarin, who is the father of the victims had demanded for justice.
Liadi mentioned that he separated from their mother after she had left the house to marry the Mr. Joseph.
His said: “I am a tractor driver in the farm. The children usually stay with me whenever I wasn’t in the farm. Most times I’ll spend 3 to 4 days before returning home. And during those times, the children usually stay with their mother till I come back from work.
My phone rang again around 6pm, and the person said my children wanted to speak with me. I heard my first daughter’s voice that their stepfather set them ablaze with petrol and they had been taken to the general hospital in Ondo.
On getting there, I saw my children writhing in pain. Some were burnt beyond recognition. Their corpses have been deposited in a morgue.
“The remaining children are at FMC, Owo, with the support of oxygen. I have promised them that after this trip to the farm, I will stop going and look for something else to do so that I can take care of them properly. They only stay with their mother in her husband’s house whenever I’m not at home. All I want now is justice.”