A 32-year-old man, Onyiuke Nwedeogu, has died after setting himself and his house on fire in Ndiechi Igbeagu, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Naijaonpoint understands that the dire incident occured after an altercation between the deceased and his wife.
Sources, who spoke to Vanguard, claimed that after assaulting his wife, Felicia Nwedeogu, on Sunday morning, Onyiuke gathered his clothing, went to the family’s provision shop, and set it ablaze along with himself.
He later succumbed to fire-related injuries while receiving treatment at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital (AE-FETHA) on Wednesday.
Sources further revealed that the couple’s disagreements had persisted for a long time, prompting both families to intervene without success.
Before the fatal act, Onyiuke allegedly removed the window protectors of the house where his wife and their three daughters were sleeping and set it on fire using fuel. Fortunately, neighbors rescued the wife and children before the flames could cause harm.
Believing his plan to harm his family had succeeded, Onyiuke reportedly drove off in his bus to their shop, where he set himself on fire.
The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu, stated that the command had not yet received a formal report of the incident at the time of this report.
The deceased’s remains have been deposited at the AE-FETHA morgue, and investigations into the matter are expected to follow.