A young man identified as Chima has been arrested by the Lagos state police command for allegedly setting his pregnant elder sister, Victoria, 20, on fire at their residence around CAC Bus Stop in Okokomaiko, Ojo, on May 14.
According to reports, Chima and Victoria, who was two months pregnant, were working in the kitchen of the family-operated restaurant on the day of the incident.
Conflict arose when their mother scolded Victoria for leaving their residence to cohabit with men. An argument broke out between both women and Victoria ended up slapping her mother. Enraged by his sister’s action, Chima reportedly grabbed a keg filled with petrol and struck her with it. The content spilled out, with most of it coming into contact with Victoria, causing a fire that left her with severe burns.
Victoria was immediately taken to a nearby hospital on Kemberi road, Okokomaiko but was rejected by the doctors. She was then referred to the Alimosho General Hospital, Igando where she was pronounced dead by the doctors.
After realizing the harm he had caused his sister, Chima attempted to flee the scene but was restrained by youths in the community who later handed him over to the police.
It was reported that their mother, who tried to extinguish the fire, also sustained burn injuries on her legs.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, Bala Elkana, stated that Chima has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Yaba for further investigation.