Man sets former wife ablaze unto death, says she can’t marry again  

A man, Ponle Adebanjo, on Saturday set his former wife ablaze, burning her to death in Ogun State. The deceased separated from the man on issues of domestic violence.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, was said to have confirmed killing on Monday.

The deceased, Lateefat, was disclosed to be burnt to death on Saturday in Otun-Akute, Ogun State by her former husband.

The PPRO disclosed that the man, Ponle Adebanjo, was on Saturday after the neighbours reported the murder case to the police.

According to Oyeyemi: “The suspect was arrested on Saturday after concerned neighbours reported the incident to the police at the Otun-Akute division.

“The estranged husband, Ponle, was reported to have told many people in the area that the wife had no right to live alone and vowed that no other man would be with her after she left him due to physical abuse.

“The couple was married for three years and resided in Otun-Akute, until the woman, Lateefat, decided to leave him when she could no longer cope with the abuse.

“Mr Ponle was said to have gone to the residence of his ex-wife and threatened to kill her if she did not return to his house.”

The man was said to be beating the woman constantly, sometimes, to a point of death; in most cases, the woman was hospitalized.  This led to her packing out of the man’s house about one month ago but rented an apartment on the same street.

The police further narrated: “Mr. Ponle was said to have stalked the deceased’s movement to carry out his assault despite her avoiding him on many occasions and on Thursday last week, he went to her house and threatened to burn her alive but she managed to run away.

“Mr. Ponle went back to the victim’s house on Saturday night and met her praying. He poured petrol on her in the room and set her ablaze but the woman managed to grab him to ensure they burned together until people intervened. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where the woman was confirmed dead.”

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The PPRO revealed that the suspect has confessed to the crime and will be charged to court after investigation.