The Police in Ondo State have promised to arrest the fleeing suspect who killed eight members of a family of nine by setting on fire their home in Okitipupa Local Government Area.
SP Femi Joseph, the Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, gave the assurance in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.
Joseph, who described the incident as unfortunate, also commiserated with the family of the deceased.
“I do not know what was on the mind of the suspect to have set ablaze the family members, this is very unfortunate.
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“Although on the run, we are seriously on a manhunt for the suspect who committed this dastardly act and we will bring him to justice,” he said.
NAN reports that the residents of Igbodigo in Ayeka, Okitipupa, woke up on Tuesday morning to the horrible sight of nine family members severely burnt by fire.
The arsonist, believed to be a jilted suitor of a female member of the family, was reported to have at 2.00 a.m. while the family members were asleep poured petrol around their apartment and set it on fire.
NAN reports that one of the nine victims was rescued with severe burns and rushed to a hospital in Okitipupa.
The victim was later transferred to State Specialist Hospital in Okitipupa where doctors are battling to save his life.
All efforts by NAN to speak with Dr Olumide Akadiri, the Chief Medical Director of the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, on the matter proved futile as calls put across to his phones were not going through as at the time of filing this report. (NAN)
