‘I set my girlfriend’s nine family members ablaze because she aborted my pregnancy’
A 45-year-old palm wine tapper and ex-convict, Adedeji Williams Adenuga, who allegedly set the home of his girlfriend on fire killing nine members of her family, has confessed that he perpetrated the act because she aborted a fourmonth pregnancy she had for him.
Adenuga, who had disappeared into thin air after committing the offence in the early hours of Tuesday April 23, 2019 at Adetuwo Street, Igbodigo community, Okitipupa local government, Ondo State, was said to have been arrested in IjebuOde, Ogun State, at the weekend.
The alleged arsonist, who was paraded before journalists yesterday alongside other criminal suspects at the Ondo State police command headquarters, Akure, said he burnt the family members of his ex-lover following the abortion of the pregnancy.
The police in Ondo State said the suspect, popularly known in Okitipupa as Ojuode, was arrested on Monday evening while wandering under a bridge.
Speaking without emotion, Adenuga claimed he had invested heavily on the estranged girlfriend, Titi Sanumi, before she jilted him based on her elder sister’s advice.
Before then, he added, the two of them often had misunderstanding, which sometimes ended at the police station, where it would be settled.
Adenuga said, “I gave her the sum of N30,000 to do petty trading, as she sells sachet water. Later, I gave her a sum of N25,000 to keep for me, increasing my money with her to N55,000. But I think she spent the money lavishly because she was staying with me. All the while she was staying with me, I spent money on her. Her elder sister called Jumoke was also collecting money from me. Jumoke was always controlling her and teaching her.
“A disagreement arose that we dragged ourselves to the police station. We later resolved it but surprisingly, Titi parked her property out of my house, saying her sister said I should pay N20,000 for her dowry before she would return.
“I begged them to give me time to look for money and I would do the needful but they refused and started playing games with me, after I have spent so much for her. I went to the station to report what she and her elder sister were doing to me but the police saw it as a small issue that could be resolved amicably.
“After we left the station, they began to abuse me and made jest of me that I am a failure. They threatened to deal with me and even kill me if I do not desist from reporting them to everybody on the street. I saw those words as big threats.”
He added that his target that day was to kill Titi and her sister Jumoke, but he did not know that other members of the family were in the one-room apartment where they lived.
“That same day, after I had planned to take an action, I went to the gas station at night, bought fuel, stormed their house and poured petrol inside the room, after which I ran away.” he said.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Undie Adie, said that Adenuga was apprehended following intense manhunt and investigation.
“The girl who he said jilted him is the only one that survived and is still receiving treatment in the hospital,” Adie added.
Eko Trust learnt that Sanumi ended her relationship with Adenuga after she found out that he was an exconvict who had allegedly murdered his first wife.
He was said to have been sent to Olokuta Prison, Akure, following the murder of the woman but had escaped during a jailbreak. He was, however, said to have been granted prerogative of mercy in 2015.