A 28-year-old man identified as Monday Daniel set his family house ablaze, killing five people in the process, while two survivors are in critical condition receiving medical treatment at Muslim hospital, Kishi, Oyo state.
The Oyo State Police Command has assured members of the public that justice would be served.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu who spoke to Channels Television on the incident confirmed that four of the deceased were children including an eight-month old baby.
“At about 02:36pm, on February, 19 a man named Monday Daniel, suspected to be insane set his family members ablaze”, Ajisebutu said.
The incident according to eye witnesses said, he left home in annoyance, only to return in the night to set his family house and all seven occupants on fire.
He actually wanted some money to enable him travel to an undisclosed destination, when the request was turned down the suspect became angry as a result promised to deal with them.
The seven people who were asleep were set ablaze five of them were completely burnt to ashes while two of them survived.
Meanwhile, the villagers could do little as the incident happened in the night, and Monday had taken to his heels after the act, but luck ran out on him as he was later arrested by the police.
Ajisebutu further said “because of the gravity of the crime, the Commissioner of Police has directed that the case would be transferred with immediate effect to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department for further investigation.
“I must quickly add that the suspect immediately after the act, escaped from the scene however prompt intervention by the police yielded positive result as the arsonist was arrested”.
The police however said the suspect had confessed to the crime claiming he did not know what came over him at the time.
Nevertheless, the suspect has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in Iyaganku Ibadan, for further investigations which will include psychological evaluation to decipher his mental status.
