Lagos Man Sentenced to Death for Setting Wife and Brother-in-Law on Fire

Lagos Man Sentenced to Death for Setting Wife and Brother-in-Law on Fire
A Lagos State High Court has sentenced Benjamin Ogundero to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of his wife, Chinyere Ogundero, and her brother, Ifeanyi Joseph, in April 2022.
Justice Sherifat Sonaike, delivering the verdict at Tafawa Balewa Square, ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Ogundero deliberately set his wife and her brother ablaze while they slept in their home in Abule Ado, Lagos.
The prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Martins Babajide, revealed that Ogundero was enraged because his wife owned the house they lived in, a property she acquired while working in the banking sector. This resentment, they argued, led him to commit the horrific act.
Eyewitnesses painted a gruesome picture of the crime scene. One testified that Chinyere’s body was so badly burned that her limbs fell off, while Ifeanyi died from severe burns that stopped his blood circulation. A neighbor also testified seeing Ogundero fleeing the burning house with a fuel gallon, further implicating him.
Describing the act as “wickedness of the highest order,” Justice Sonaike declared:
“The actions of the defendant are the worst things a person can do to another human being.”
The court found Ogundero guilty of four counts of murder and arson. He was sentenced to death by hanging for murder and life imprisonment for arson, with the sentence starting from his conviction date.
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Ogundero, 50, was first arraigned on December 7, 2022, and had shown no remorse throughout the trial, according to the court.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of April 1, 2022, at House 5, Zone 7, Oteyi Garden Estate, Abule Ado, in Lagos’ Amuwo Odofin area. Prosecutors stated that Ogundero poured petrol on his sleeping wife and brother-in-law before setting them on fire, leading to their deaths.
With the court’s ruling, justice has been served for Chinyere Ogundero and Ifeanyi Joseph, bringing closure to a case that shook the Abule Ado community.
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