A Lagos court has sentenced Benjamin Ogudoro to death for murdering his wife, Chinyere Ogudoro, and her brother, Ifeanyi, by setting them on fire while they slept.
Police and court records of the incident showed that it occurred in 2022 at their residence in Abule-Ado, Lagos State, just hours after his unfortunate wife returned from Scotland, where she was pursuing higher education.
Findings revealed that the killer husband was enraged after the revelation that his U.K.-based wife, who was eligible to relocate him and their four children, had left his name out of her landed property.
He reportedly stormed the house where the late Chinyere and her brother were sleeping and set it ablaze after murdering them.
Benjamin was found guilty of four counts: two counts of murder and two counts of arson. For the murder charges, he was sentenced to death by hanging, and for the arson charges, he received life imprisonment.
The court ruled that the prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Martins Babajide, proved beyond reasonable doubt that Benjamin committed the crimes.
Evidence showed that Benjamin set his wife and her brother ablaze after discovering that his wife had put only her name on the documents for their house.
Witnesses testified about the severity of the burns suffered by the victims, and one neighbor saw Benjamin fleeing the burning house with a fuel can.
The judge, Sherifat Sonaike, noted that Benjamin showed no remorse throughout the proceedings and described his actions as wickedness of the highest order.
The tragic incident took place on the first night Chinyere returned from Scotland, where she had been studying on a student visa that allowed her to bring her family, including her four children and husband.
