54-year-old man, Joseph Ojo, has been arrested for allegedly setting ablaze his five stepchildren in the Fagun area of Ondo town, Ondo State.
The suspects was said to have committed the crime after claiming that his wife, the children’s mother, had upset him.
According to Daily Trust, sources claimed that Ojo poured petrol in the children’s room while they were sleeping and set the room on fire.
One of the sources said the man and his wife got into an argument because she had been refusing him sex.
With one of the children dead from burns, the other four children were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owo, where they are still undergoing treatment.
The woman managed to flee with her 18-month-old twins, which she had with the man. She suffered minor injuries.
The state police spokesperson, SP Funmi Odunlami, confirmed that the suspect had been arrested by the authorities in connection with suspected murder and arson.
She said, “We have yet to know why the man committed the act but we heard that he had a misunderstanding with his wife. He is currently in our custody and we have begun investigation into the matter. The suspect will be charged after investigation.”