Man Sets Wife Ablaze Over Family Property
A Lagos State High Court has sentenced Benjamin, a man accused of setting his wife, Chinyere Ogudoro, and her younger brother, Ifeanyi, ablaze over a dispute involving their family property, to death by hanging.
The tragic incident occurred in 2022 after Chinyere returned from Scotland to Nigeria to protect a house she had reportedly worked hard to acquire.
Chinyere had moved to Scotland four years earlier to pursue a master’s degree in International Business Management. While living abroad, she established a business in Glasgow and later brought her husband, Benjamin, and their four children to join her.
However, their marriage was reportedly troubled by domestic violence. According to the account presented in court, Benjamin had previously attacked Chinyere with a machete.
The situation reportedly worsened when Benjamin returned to Nigeria alone and attempted to sell the family house in Lagos. The property documents, however, were in Chinyere’s name, making her approval necessary for the transaction to proceed.
After learning about the attempted sale, Chinyere flew into Lagos on March 31, 2022, to address the matter.
Her younger brother, Ifeanyi, picked her up at the airport and decided to spend the night with her because of the tension between his sister and her husband.
Around 3 a.m., Benjamin allegedly began banging on the door, accusing the pair of locking him outside. According to the account presented in court, he had a spare key, but Chinyere and her brother chose not to engage him in an argument.
After the noise subsided, they returned to sleep.
The prosecution alleged that Benjamin subsequently turned off the compound’s water supply before collecting petrol from the generator area.
He allegedly entered the room where Chinyere and Ifeanyi were sleeping, poured petrol on them and the mattress, and set the room on fire.
The situation became even more desperate when the door was allegedly locked from the outside, leaving the victims struggling to escape the flames.
According to the account, Chinyere and her brother rushed towards the bathroom in an attempt to extinguish the fire, only to discover that the water supply had been cut off.
Ifeanyi eventually managed to break through the locked door despite suffering severe burns. Chinyere, however, died at the scene.
Before succumbing to his injuries, Ifeanyi reportedly told neighbours and responding police officers what he said had happened, providing crucial information for the investigation.
Benjamin denied responsibility, claiming he had been drinking at a nearby bar and returned to discover that the house was on fire.
However, following the trial, the Lagos State High Court found him guilty on four counts relating to murder and arson and sentenced him to death by hanging.
The case highlights the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the dangers of allowing family disputes to escalate into deadly confrontations.
Disclaimer: This report is presented for documentary and educational purposes, based on the account of the incident and reported court proceedings. It condemns domestic violence, abuse and all forms of violence within relationships.
