The police in Niger State have apprehended a 45-year-old man, Baba Mohammed of Edo Baba village in the Lavum Local Government Area of the state for allegedly setting his neighbor ablaze, Usman Tetengi, for wooing his fiancée.
The attack on Tetengi led to his demise, the police stated.
It was learnt that the suspect had asked the victim to stop courting the woman he proposed to marry, but Tetengi reportedly failed to heed the warning.
Northern City News gathered on Thursday that Mohammed allegedly drenched his victim with three litres of petrol before setting him ablaze.
He told our correspondent that he killed Tetengi because he threatened to attack him, adding that he felt no remorse for his action.
Mohammed said, “I am not regretting my action because if I did not kill him at that particular time, he would have killed me; so let him go, in his next world, he will not join issues with me again.
“I don’t care where this case will get to, the most important thing is that I have closed his chapter and stopped him from troubling my life.
“There are other women in our community but he chose to make advances to the woman I proposed to marry. He has paid dearly for it, it served him right.”
The Command Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect sent one Abdul to buy three litres of fuel which he used in setting the victim ablaze.
Abubakar said the victim was rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Bida and was later referred to Gwagwalada Hospital, Abuja where he received treatment until his death.
He said that the matter would be charged to court on conclusion of investigation.
In another development, a 37-year-old man, Oshajare Ohutimi, appeared on Thursday before a Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly setting his neighbour’s home on fire.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the prosecution argued that if the court must grant the accused bail, it should be on stringent conditions.
The defence counsel, Moses Ugwummadu, urged the court to disregard the prosecution’s claim because his client would provide a reliable surety if granted bail.
The judge, Abdulwahab Mohammed, granted the defendant N300, 000 bail with a reliable surety in like sum.
He said the surety must be well known where he resides.
He also ordered that the accused should write an undertaking to maintain peace pending the determination of the case.
Mohammed adjourned the matter until August 20 for hearing.