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Grandmother sets son, wife, two grandchildren ablaze in Ondo

A couple and one of their children have been burnt to death in a mysterious fire that gutted their residence at the weekend in Aponmu, Akure South local government area of Ondo state.

A second child that was rescued is receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

What caused the confusion was the alleged confession of mother of the deceased husband identified as Iforiti who claimed responsibility for the fire that killed the family.

An eyewitness, Korede Michael, said he noticed fire at the house at about 2am and they had to break the window to rescue the victims.

He said, “The woman, her son, Victor Oloro; wife, Rachael; and children, Toluwani and Blessing, were all in the house when the woman set it on fire. She got some dry palm fronds and the little petrol her son kept in a gallon (for generator), spread it around the house and then put fire to it.”

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“I was the first person to notice the fire and jumped into the house before other members of the community joined me in rescuing them. We got a vehicle immediately to transport them to the government hospital in Akure.

“When we got to Akure (UNIMED annex), the doctors and nurses rejected the patients, saying they cannot take care of them due to the degree of the burn and advised that we take them to the Federal Medical Center in Owo.

“Unfortunately, we lost the last grandchild, who was just two and a half years old, immediately we got to Owo.

“On Sunday, the son and his wife gave up the ghost while the only grandchild left is in a critical condition.

“The children could not send the aged woman out of the house when she started behaving strangely because it was built by her late husband”.

It was gathered that the suspect attempted suicide sometimes in 2022 by jumping into a well but was rescued by sympathisers.

Witnesses said Iforiti confessed to have burnt her son and his family because they were starving her.

Ondo Police spokesman, SP Funmilayo Odunlami Omisanya, who confirmed the incident said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID)

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