Court sentences man to death for burning wife, brother-in-law

A Lagos State High Court, presided over by Justice Sherifat Sonaike, has sentenced Benjamin Ogundero to death by hanging for the brutal murder of his wife, Chinyere Ogundero, and her brother, Ifeanyi Joseph, in April 2022.

The court found Ogundero guilty of setting both victims on fire while they slept in their home in Abule Ado, Lagos, following a heated domestic dispute.

Delivering the judgement, on Thursday, Justice Sonaike ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ogundero deliberately planned and carried out the attack.

Describing the act as “wickedness of the highest order,” the judge condemned his actions as one of the most heinous crimes a person could commit.

During the court proceedings, Justice Sonaike emphasised that the evidence presented proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ogundero committed the heinous act.

“He devised, prepared, and executed the act. This is wickedness of the highest order,” the judge stated, condemning the defendant’s actions as one of the worst a person could inflict upon another.

In addition to the murder charge, Ogundero was also found guilty of arson and sentenced to life imprisonment, which will start from the date of conviction.

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The prosecution team, led by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mr. Martins Babajide, argued that the man had been angry over the fact that his wife owned the house they lived in, which she had purchased while working in the banking sector.

This anger, it was said, was a key factor in his decision to commit the crime.

Witnesses described the horrific scene, with one testifying that Chinyere’s body was so badly burned that her limbs fell off.

Ifeanyi Joseph died from severe burns that caused his body to stop circulating blood.

The court also heard from a neighbour who saw Ogundero running from the burning house with a fuel gallon, further solidifying his involvement in the crime.

Chinyere was said to have just returned from Scotland when the incident took place.
The anger of Ogundero was said to have stemmed from the fact that the house they built was registered in Chinyere’s name.

Ogundero discovered this when he suddenly came back from Scotland and made an attempt to sell the building but couldn’t because of the name on the documents. He was said to have been furious.

When the wife heard of the attempt to sell the house she flew back to Nigeria only to meet her death that very night.

Ogundero’s actions were deemed to be driven by personal grievances and anger, with the court finding no remorse throughout the trial.
They were married with four children.

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