Ondo police parade suspected arsonist over death of wife, family

Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old man, Deji Adenuga, alleged to have burnt his wife and eight of her family to death in Okitipupa.

The suspect was paraded before reporters by Police Commissioner Mr. Undie Adie at the command’s headquarters in Akure yesterday.

Adenuga confessed to the crime, saying he burnt the house where the parents of his wife lived and killed eight persons.

The Nation learnt that the suspect was one of the ex-convicts who escaped from Olokuta Prison, Akure, after a jailbreak in 2013.

Adenuga said in 2003 he killed his first wife after she allegedly went away with a sum of N450,000 belonging to him.

On why he burned the family of his wife to death, Adenuga said his wife aborted his four-month pregnancy and took away some of his belongings to her parents’ house.

The arrested arsonist hails from Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government.

He said he is ready to face the consequences of his action.

Said he: “I have no regret killing them because when they did their own, nobody punished them.

“I set their house ablaze when it became clear that my wife had moved to her parents’ house with some of my belongings. We had a little disagreement at home and she moved out.

“I was the one paying their rent. I was also responsible for their day-to-day living. I am a palm wine tapper and I

always live up to expectation at home and in my in-law’s house. My wife’s parents always ask for money from me and foodstuffs and I usually oblige.”

Adenuga said he waited for months, thinking the family would rescind their decision, to no avail.

“I also reported the matter to the police, but they did not take action.”

Adie, who said the suspect

would be charged to court, added that he was arrested in

Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, where he relocated to after committing the crime.

He said the command would also investigate the case of murder that earlier led

to his imprisonment and the ‘magic’ he used to escape from the prison custody.