A 54-year-old man identified as Ojo Joseph, was on Sunday arrested by the Ondo State Police Command for allegedly setting ablaze five of his stepchildren.
The sad incident occurred at the Fagun Crescent area of Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect was said to have committed the act following a disagreement with his wife, who is the mother of the victims.
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It was gathered that the woman had the children for another man, whom she divorced before getting married to the suspect.
The marriage with the suspect also produced a set of twins.
According to a source in the area, the suspect poured petrol into the room of his stepchildren and set them ablaze while they were asleep.
One of the stepchildren died in the fire, while four other children sustained varying degrees of injury.
They were said to be receiving treatment in a hospital at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo.
The mother and the 18-month-old twins escaped with minor injuries.
The source also stated that the man perpetrated the heinous act because the mother of the children allegedly denied him sex and they have been having misunderstandings over the issue.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, spokesperson of the command, Funmi Odunlami said the man had been arrested after the matter was reported to the police.
She said, “We have yet to know why the man committed the act but we heard that he had a misunderstanding with his wife.
“He is currently in our custody and we have begun investigation into the matter.
“The suspect will be charged after investigation.”
