Hubby denies setting wife on fire in bed
Glasgow businesswoman died in horror blaze back home in Nigeria
A HUSBAND has denied murdering his wife by setting her on fire after she travelled back to Nigeria from her home in Scotland.
Mum-of-four Chinyere Ogudoro, 46, and her brother Ifeanyi Edoziem suffered fatal injuries at her home in Lagos.
Benjamin Ogudoro, 50, is accused of setting them alight as they slept.
Chinyere moved to Scotland four years ago to study at Glasgow Caledonian University and gained a master’s in international business management.
Her husband claimed he got home early on April 1 to find their house ablaze and that he tried to save her.
Mr Ogudoro is being held in custody but was allowed to speak to journalists outside Lagos State Police headquarters.
He said: “I did not kill my wife. It is absolutely not true that I poured fuel on my wife and her brother. It was a case of a fire incident.
“My wife came back from Scotland and she called me at about 9pm that day to tell me she was around. Probably she wanted to take me by surprise.”
Mr Ogudoro told how he went home to see Chinyere and later went to a bar. His wife and her brother stayed and slept in the guest room.
He added: “I was on my phone and I suddenly saw an unusual light coming from the balcony close to the guest
It is not true that I poured fuel on wife and her brother BENJAMIN OGUDORO CHINYERE’S HUSBAND
room. When I got there, I opened the door and I saw the fire. I moved back immediately because the flames had already touched me. I even sustained injuries on my hand and legs. “I ran to the place I went to drink earlier. Some people were there and I asked them for help. They poured water on me and that was the last thing I remembered until I found myself in the hospital.”
Chinyere died at the scene. Her brother told police his brother-in-law was the culprit before he died in hospital.
Chinyere had set up a management consultancy in Glasgow.
Reports in Nigeria say she returned to speak with her husband after finding out he planned to sell their home.
But Mr Ogudoro said: “I have always had a good relationship with my wife.”
Lagos police said Mr Ogudoro will appear in court soon.