An as-yet-unnamed man has died after setting himself and his wife ablaze in the Ijoka Area of Akure, Ondo State.

It was gathered that the couple, who had been married for ten years and had two children, had separated following an undisclosed marital issue.

The incident was disclosed by the state police command on its X handle on Friday.

The police reported that the deceased took the fatal action against himself and his wife after he had begged her for reconciliation, but she refused to end the crisis.

A police source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said: “The man had been separated from his wife for some time but had been begging her to end the conflict between them and continue their lives as husband and wife. However, the wife refused.

“So, on a fateful day, the deceased invited his estranged wife to his house to pick up an item. When she arrived, he began begging her again. But the wife insisted on not reconciling, which led him to lock the door from the back, pour petrol on both himself and the woman, and set them on fire. He died on the spot.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident, adding that while the husband died, the wife was still in hospital receiving treatment.

Odunlami stated, “They were married and, along the way, had issues that caused them to stay apart. The deceased asked his wife to come over and collect a wardrobe. When she arrived, he began threatening to kill himself but later locked the door so that both of them would die together.

“Using fuel and a lighter, he set himself and the woman ablaze. He died on the spot, while the woman suffered major burns.”

PUNCH

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Nwakuche Ndidi as the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

In a statement released on Friday, Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Board, announced that Ndidi’s appointment will officially begin on December 15, 2024.

His appointment comes after the conclusion of the term of the current Comptroller General, Haliru Nababa.

The statement reads: “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has graciously approved the appointment of Nwakuche Sylvester Ndidi as Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service following the expiration of the tenure of Haliru Nababa. His appointment takes effect from December 15, 2024.

“Nwakuche, born on November 26, 1966, hails from Oguta in Imo State. Until his appointment, he was the Deputy Controller-General in charge of the Training and Staff Development Directorate. He is a fellow of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and holds the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic.

“The President further enjoined him to bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new capacity.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2024 Edo election, Asue Ighodalo, has threatened to sue the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, over alleged defamation.

In a letter from the legal firm Banwo & Ighodalo, the PDP gubernatorial candidate accused Tenebe of making false and damaging statements in a widely circulated video against him.

Gatekeeper recalls that Tenebe, while reacting to the gaffe of Governor Monday Okpebholo during the presentation of the 2025 budget to the state assembly, had accused Ighodalo of stealing billions.

Governor Okpebholo, who appeared before the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, had struggled to read the total sums of the state budget estimate.

The governor, after several attempts to pronounce the figure, said it was confusing him, a comment that drew laughter.

The governor’s gaffe subsequently trended on social media platforms, with many users expressing diverse opinions.

In the video Tenebe released about the incident, he said Obaseki and Ighodalo would not have made such a mistake because they had stolen billions before.

Responding to the circulated video, Ighodalo gave Tenebe seven days to issue a full retraction, a public apology, and assurances that no further defamatory comments would be made.