Police have arrested 46-year-old Hassan Azeez for setting his wife ablaze after pouring petrol on her.

The victim and mother of one, Olayinka Hassan, was said to have rebuffed her husband’s directive to serve him food while he was hungry.

Police operatives from Ibogun Divisional Headquarters in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State arrested Azeez after a complaint by father of the victim that she was set ablaze by her husband over a minor disagreement.

The command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed Azeez’s arrest.

Oyeyemi said the suspect ran to neighbouring Republic of Benin since October 22, 2022 when he committed the crime but the Police kept looking for him until January 22, 2023 when he was eventually found and apprehended.

“On interrogation, the suspect who claimed to have ran away to Benin Republic confessed to the commission of the crime, but blamed it on the devil”.

“According to him, he asked the victim to prepare food for him but instead of the victim to prepare his food, she was busy washing clothes. He stated further that he got annoyed because he was hungry and the annoyance made him to pour petrol on her and set her on fire”.

Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole has directed that the suspect be transferred to Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Departments (SCIID) for further investigation and possible prosecution. (The Nation)