Man Allegedly Sets Room With His 5 Stepchildren Ablaze After Wife Denies Him Sex

A man has been arrested in Nigeria for allegedly setting a room on fire while his five stepchildren were in it. The suspect was reportedly upset, as his wife had been denying him sex for months.

The husband, identified as Ojo Joseph, 54, is accused of starting the fire that killed one of his five stepchildren in the Fagun Crescent area of Ondo City over the weekend, Vanguard News reported Monday.

The five children were born to Joseph's wife during her first marriage, which reportedly failed.

After marrying Joseph, the woman gave birth to twins, who are currently 18 months old. The mother and twins were also in the same room when the fire occurred.

It is believed the suspect poured petrol in the room while the five stepchildren were asleep and then set the room ablaze, according to Daily Post Nigeria.

One of the five children was burned to death. The remaining four were rescued and sustained injuries. Meanwhile, the mother and Joseph's biological twins managed to escape the blaze with minor injuries.

The four children were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo for treatment, along with the mother and the twins.

A source reportedly said Joseph started the fire after he got into an argument with his wife for refusing to have sex with him.

The state police commands spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed that it was Joseph who started the fire. He was arrested by police detectives for suspected murder and arson.

The police are yet to confirm the exact motive behind the fire that Joseph is believed to have started.

In an unrelated incident reported from the Indian city of Hyderabad last year, a father allegedly set his 10-year-old son on fire for not performing well in school. The father scolded the child for not attending his classes regularly and even hit him. The man then took a can of oil and poured it all over his son before lighting up a matchstick and throwing it at the boy. While on fire, the boy ran out of the house and fell into a ditch, prompting the locals to rush to his aid. The fire was put out, and the boy was taken to the hospital for treatment.