A 54-year-old man, Ojo Joseph, has been arrested for setting ablaze five of his step children at Fagun crescent area of Ondo town, in Ondo Local Government Area of Ondo state.

It was gathered that Ojo poured petrol into the room where the children were sleeping and set them on fire because his wife, who is the mother of the children offended him.

The police spokesperson in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), explained that the incident occurred on Saturday.

She added that the suspect is still being investigated while the victims are currently receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre, Owo.

“This is a case of alleged arson and murder, and we need to investigate it to know the cause and how it happened.

“Meanwhile, the case has been transferred to our Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for proper investigation”, Odunlami said.

However, a witness, who did not want his name in print, told NAN that the suspect perpetrated the act because his wife denied him sex.

The witness further stated that the suspect poured petrol inside the room while the children were asleep, adding that one of them lost his life in the ensuing inferno.