Ondo man who burnt stepchildren blames temper, as more victims die

A 64-year-old man, Ojo Joseph, who set ablaze his five stepchildren in Ondo town, Ondo State, was on Wednesday paraded at the state police command headquarters, Akure.

The suspect reportedly committed the act while the victims were asleep following a disagreement between him and their mother at the Fagun area of Ondo town, Ondo State, last Saturday.

One of the stepchildren died on the spot, while two others died at the hospital.

Parading the suspect, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the suspect would be charged at the completion of investigation.

Odunlami confirmed that three of the five victims were confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where they were receiving treatment.

Speaking, the 64-year-old suspect said he committed the act out of anger because his wife and her children ganged up to beat him up in his house.

He said, “On that day (last Friday) around 7pm, I had a quarrel with my wife and those children joined my wife to beat me up; I was even injured. That was how they were doing whenever we quarreled. So, after they had all slept, out of anger, I went to get petrol and poured into their room and put fire. Punch