A 64-year-old man, Ojo Joseph, who reportedly set ablaze his five stepchildren in Ondo town, Ondo State, has revealed why he committed the act.
According to The PUNCH, Joseph while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday during his parade said he committed the act out of anger because his wife and her children ganged up to beat him up in his house.
He said, “On that day (last Friday) around 7pm, I had a quarrel with my wife and those children joined my wife to beat me up; I was even injured. That was how they were doing whenever we quarreled. So, after they had all slept, out of anger, I went to get petrol and poured into their room and put fire.
“Before now, my wife was no longer taking care of me and yet, whenever quarrel happened between us, she and her children would gang up to beat me up.”
According to reports, the suspect and the victims’ mother had a fight last Saturday in the Fagun neighborhood of Ondo town, Ondo State, and the act was reportedly committed while the victims were asleep.
One of the stepchildren died on the spot, while two others died at the hospital.
Parading the suspect, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the suspect would be charged at the completion of investigation.
He also confirmed that three of the five victims were confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where they were receiving treatment.
