…Just as jealous hubby sets man ablaze after mistaking him to be wife’s lover

By Efe Onodjae

A lady identified as Toyin has set her boyfriend Moses Baba-Agba ablaze at Akoro, Badagry West Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Lagos State over her refusal to continue with their relationship.

It was learned that the boyfriend discovered that Toyin was not pregnant after he forced her to go for scanning based on the fact that Toyin had been collecting money from him for antenatal for the past few months.

An aunt to the deceased, Pedetin Baba-Agba told Vanguard that Toyin, 24, told Moses, 26, that she was pregnant some weeks ago and Moses had been giving her money for antenatal until last week when Moses told her to go for scanning to know the condition of the baby.

According to her, she came back to tell Moses that the scanning machine got spoilt when it was her turn and this prompted Mose’s mother to take her to the hospital where she discovered that she was not pregnant as claimed and as result of this, Moses brought the relationship to an end.

Meanwhile, the deceased family said they were not aware Moses told her he was no longer interested in the relationship anymore.

“On Friday night, Toyin deceived Moses’ sister staying with him and took her to the seaside for fresh air.   On getting there, Toyin told her to wait because she wanted to pick some clothes at home.  When Toyin got home, Moses was already sleeping.  She poured petrol on him and set him on fire after locking him in the room.  She then escaped with Moses’ phone but as she was fleeing, she was badly wounded on the leg by the raging inferno that spread across the rooms.

“Moses struggled alone in the room for a long time before he could break the door and ran to my house for help.   At first, we did not know it was Moses because he was burnt beyond recognition.  In the ensuing confusion, we poured oil on him but to no avail.  We then rushed him to General hospital where they referred us to the hospital at Ikeja where Moses later died on Monday. His body is presently at the mortuary in Badagry.

“We are pleading with Nigerians to come to our aid. We have also learned that this lady had allegedly stabbed her former husband to death in Ajara, Badagry and nothing was done about it.  The lady was tracked down to a church and she was handed over to the police.  We don’t know what they are going to do about it yet.”

Similarly, another incident was reported at Gome community, close to Owode Apa, Badagry West LCDA on 13th of November when one John, surname unknown, set a man he saw in front of his house ablaze over allegations of having affair with his wife.

Giving vivid details of how the incident took place, a brother to the deceased, Gabriel Fred told Vanguard; “I got a call that Sunday was set ablaze on Sunday around midnight.   On getting there, they had taken him to the hospital. I proceeded to the hospital where I discovered that he was seriously burnt.  I was told to go and get some drugs for him on Monday but he died later that day.

“From the information we gathered, Sunday went out that faithful day with his girlfriend.  She said she was not feeling well and was vomiting.   So, he brought her home and had to wait to make sure she got better before he leaves. He then sat down at the front of the house where the girlfriend was sharing apartment with her married elder sister and he slept off.

“It was while he was asleep that the husband to the elder sister came home to discover a strange man sleeping in front of his house with a packed motorcycle.  He immediately went to buy petrol, poured it on the stranger and set him ablaze. It was later discovered that the enraged husband had mistaken Sunday for a man having affair with his wife.”

A woman who sells petrol close to the area said John had come to buy petrol from her that evening, a few minutes before the incident took place not knowing what he was going to use it for.  It was further gathered that John had confessed to his father that he set the wrong person ablaze and that he never knew it was Sunday.

Vanguard gathered that the police could not arrest John and his wife because both of them escaped but Sunday’s girlfriend was arrested but was later released on bail. The incident was reported to the police at Badagry.

A source a Area K police command told Vanguard that the lady in question can’t be arrested because of the injury sustained on her leg and as a result of that and Police don’t detain injured people.