I set my fiancé’s family on fire because I was jilted, taunted as an ex-convict

The arsonist who set an entire family of nine on fire in Ondo State, Mr. Deji Williams Adenuga, yesterday disclosed that the family was extorting him and threatened to deal with him despite all avenues exploited to seek redress.

The tragedy occurred at Igbodigo town in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state last week Tuesday when the suspect reportedly set the house ablaze at about 2:00a.m. burning five members to death while three died later at the hospital. The victims were Jumoke Alade, Ayorinde Alade, Mercy Alade, Glory Alade, Johnson Alade, Aladesewa Alade, Adebayo Alade and Joy Alade.

Adenuga, aged 45, who is popularly known as Oluodo, recounted his experience to The Guardian while he was paraded with other suspects arrested for kidnapping and advanced internet fraud at the state police command, Akure. He disclosed that his fiancée, Titi Sanumi, who is still receiving treatment as the only survivor of the fire, colluded with her elder sister to exploit him and later deserted him. It was gathered the lady called off the relationship and left the house of the jilted lover after she found out that he was an ex-convict.

But the suspect said the estranged lover aborted the four months pregnancy she had for him and eventually deserted him to his sister’s house, Jumoke, whom he accused as the person instigating her against him. He noted that all entreaties to convince her and the family not to put an end to their relationship that started last year were to no avail as Titi connived with her sister to ridicule him and also jibe at him as an ex-convict.

He said: “I have invested a lot on Titi and her family; I gave her N2,000 for food every three days and stocked the house with varieties of foodstuffs. But I noticed that whenever she cooked, she would divide the soup into two and take the half to her sister and children.

“She carried all the burdens of her sister’s family on me. Her sister sold sachet water and her husband was down with stroke. I reported the incident at the police station and when the police followed me there and we all explained our cases, they dismissed it and left without arresting them.”

Adenuga, who was a car wash operator and palm-wine seller, lamented that they spurned him after the police dismissed the case, saying the investment on Titi was a compensation for the sexual intercourse I had with her.

“She and her sister insisted that I must undo all the sexual intercourse I had with her if they would have to return all my investment on her. They would call me on phone, abuse me, jibe at me and threatened to deal with me.

“So, I acted fast, I set them on fire to seek revenge. I never new the whole family members were in the house, I thought it was only Titi and her sister, Jumoke, who had been a thorn in my flesh. I just came in the night, forced the window open, poured petrol and set it on fire.”

Speaking on the allegation that he was jailed for killing his first wife, Abiye, in 2000, he said the deceased wife duped her of his life savings amounting to N400,000.

The Commissioner for Police, Mr. Undie Adie, revealed that the suspect was arrested at Ijebu-Ode on Sunday, April 28 after an intense manhunt, while trying to abscond from the wrath of the law after committing the offence.

“It is unfortunate to note that the same suspect is notorious for committing heinous crime, especially murder as he had earlier killed his former wife named Abiye in 2000, which led to his being remanded in Olokuta Prison. He, however, escaped with other inmates during a jailbreak in 2013. The earlier murder case is also going to be looked into with a view to having him face the full weight of the law,” he said.