What will someone not hear in Naija biko. I thought you love her so why set her house on fire? The police at Takwa Bay Division, Lekki, Eti Osa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, have arrested and arraigned a man, Godspower Ikechukwu, 33, on a one count charge of setting his lover’s apartment on fire for allegedly ditching him.
The incident happened at about 0300 hours at NPA Chalet Beach area of Takwa Bay, Victoria Island in Lagos.
The police stated in the charge sheet that the accused was arrested following a complaint lodged by Sandra Edet that her ex-lover, Ikechukwu, set her apartment ablaze during which she lost her belongings she had laboured to acquire all her life.
She alleged that he burnt her apartment because she told him she was no longer interested in their relationship.
“My ex-lover is a jobless man who does not want to work, and I have been taking good care of him. But when I became tired, I told him I was not interested anymore. And he went and bought petrol which he poured on my apartment and set it ablaze, she allegedly told the police.
In his statement to the police, the accused allegedly confessed that he bought petrol, splashed it into his ex-lover’s apartment through the window and set it on fire to punish her for abruptly ending their relationship.
“I love the girl so much, but I was shocked when she told me to stop coming to her house.
“In anger, I bought fuel and set her apartment on fire to teach her a lesson, but I regret my action,” he allegedly stated in his statement to the police.
The offence, the prosecutor, ASP F. Ifijen said, contravenes section 339 of the criminal law of Lagos state of Nigeria, 2011.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge, and Magistrate Mrs. Oguntade admitted him on bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.
She adjourned the matter till 6 June, 2012 for mention.
The defendant was remanded at Ikoyi Prison when nobody came to bail him in good time.
