Firdaus Obiremi
A 56-year-old man, identified as Madarikan Emehinola, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command over the alleged murder of his estranged wife, Igbagbo Erobe, and the subsequent burning of her father’s residence in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of October 18, 2026, at Igbo Edu, Abigi, where the 40-year-old woman, a mother of six, was staying following the breakdown of her relationship with the suspect.
Preliminary police investigations reportedly indicated that the suspect allegedly attacked the deceased after she ended their relationship and moved on with another man.
Sources at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, disclosed that Emehinola allegedly arrived at the victim’s father’s residence around 1am with a five-litre keg containing petrol before the incident.
The sources alleged that the suspect killed the woman before setting the building ablaze, apparently in an attempt to destroy evidence of the crime.
Two residents, including one Seun Igbamerun, were said to have sighted the suspect fleeing from the scene with the petrol container while the building was engulfed in flames.
The witnesses reportedly raised the alarm, alerting members of the deceased’s family and security operatives, who subsequently launched a search for the suspect.
He was later apprehended by security operatives at a junction in a neighbouring community before being handed over to the police at Abigi.
Further investigations reportedly led to the recovery of the five-litre petrol container, on which detectives allegedly discovered bloodstains suspected to be connected with the incident.
A police source, who spoke on the circumstances surrounding the alleged killing, said the deceased and the suspect had been in a relationship for about two years before she decided to end it.
The source said the woman reportedly left the suspect earlier in the year and began another relationship, a development believed to have preceded the tragic incident.
The source stated, “Early this year, the woman abandoned him and started a new relationship with another man. On October 18, 2026, the man went to Igbo Edu at about 1am with petrol inside a five-litre keg to kill the woman.
“After killing the woman, he set her father’s house on fire. One Seun Igbamerun and another person saw him running away with the five-litre keg of petrol while the house was on fire.”
However, the suspect has denied involvement in both the alleged murder and arson, insisting that he had stopped visiting the deceased after she informed him that she had found another husband.
Emehinola reportedly told investigators that the deceased asked him around June to stop visiting her and that he complied with her request.
He also denied having any knowledge of the fire, claiming that the petrol container recovered from him was meant for purchasing fuel for his engine boat.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, condemned the incident and assured the bereaved family that the command would pursue justice.
Babaseyi said the police had commenced investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and establish the level of involvement of those connected with it.
“The Ogun State Police Command strongly condemns this tragic incident. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.
“Investigation is ongoing, and we assure the public that every effort will be made to establish the facts and ensure that justice is served,” the police spokesman said.
The command reiterated its commitment to ensuring that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
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