A Lagos court has sentenced Benjamin Ogudoro to death by hanging for the gruesome murders of his wife and brother-in-law.
The tragic incident occurred in March 2022 when the defendant set his wife, Chinyere Ogudoro, and her brother, Ifeanyi, ablaze while they were asleep at their Abule-Ado residence.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Judge Sherifat Sonaike declared that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was responsible for the deaths.
“He devised, prepared, and executed the act. This is wickedness of the highest order,” the judge stated, emphasizing the severity of the crime.
The convict, who had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, was found guilty of four counts of murder and arson.
For the murder of his wife and brother-in-law, Ogudoro was sentenced to death by hanging. For the arson charge, he received a life sentence.
The court heard that Chinyere Ogudoro had just returned from Scotland, where she had been studying, on the night of her death.
Her brother, Ifeanyi, who had suffered severe burns, died later from complications, unable to recover from the horrific injuries.
Witnesses testified that Chinyere’s body was so badly burned that her limbs had fallen off, and Ifeanyi’s injuries were similarly catastrophic. One neighbor reported seeing Ogudoro fleeing the scene with a fuel gallon, which was used to set the house on fire.
The court also heard a chilling account from Ifeanyi, who reportedly told a neighbor that his brother-in-law was responsible for the deadly fire before he succumbed to his wounds.
The prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions Martins Babajide, argued that the tragic events stemmed from a toxic marriage, with the defendant harboring anger towards his wife.
According to the prosecution, the motive for the brutal act stemmed from a conflict over the ownership of their home, which Chinyere had purchased and put solely in her name.
The victim’s aunt, Edna Durueke, recounted the heartbreaking moment when she learned of the tragedy. “It was her first night back from Scotland, and she didn’t live to see the next day,” Durueke told BBC Pidgin in 2022.
She explained that despite reconciling a previous quarrel before Chinyere’s trip abroad, the marriage remained strained.
“We later discovered that her husband was angry because she had put only her name on the house documents, and this led to the fatal act,” Durueke added.
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