21st September, 2012
A jilted husband, Adesanmoye Kehinde, expressed his frustration after he was dumped by his wife, Jean Odegba, 29, by setting her ablaze in Ikotun, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.
He was said to have poured some petrol on her and lit a match that set her ablaze.
Although Jean was rescued, she suffered severe burns and is now lying critically ill at a hospital.
The victim claimed that Kehinde enjoyed every benefit from her as his wife and yet he did not pay a dime to her family as dowry after repeated promises to do so.
She therefore decided to quit the four-year relationship for another man who was ready to marry her. But Kehinde insisted that she must not leave her and threatened to deal with her if she left. To prove to her that he meant the threat, he set her ablaze at the popular Ikotun round about and fled.
According to the victim, he threatened to deal with her, but she did not know he planned to set her ablaze. On the day of the incident she was going to see a friend and unknown to her Kehinde was trailing her.
On getting to the Ikotun roundabout, he poured some petrol on her, lit a match and set her ablaze. She was rushed to a hospital where she has been on admission.
Kehinde who was later arrested and is now in prison custody, hails from Ondo State Southwest Nigeria while his estranged wife is from Edo State, Southsouth Nigeria. P.M.NEWS gathered that the estranged lovers had been living together as husband and wife at 2 Olaoluwa Street, Abaranje, Ikotun.
The suspect was charged to Ejgbo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on a two-count charge under section 243 and 244 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
When the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor, ASP Nicholas Atunmonye objected to his bail.
He told the court that he was callous to have set the woman ablaze. He added that if he was allowed to go, it will send wrong signal to the society and the victim was still lying critically ill at a hospital.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs. M. B. Folami ordered him to be remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos pending the outcome of the medical report.
The matter was adjourned till 24 September, 2012.
When P.M.NEWS visited their residence at Abaranje, Ikotun, their neighbours confirmed the incident, saying that they heard about it some days after it had happened.
Some of them said that they knew the couple as husband and wife and did not know Kehinde did not pay dowry on Jean.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe