•I overreacted, killer grandma laments
It is still unbelievable that a 73-year-old grandmother would set the entire family members of her son ablaze on the excuse of being starved of food by the daughter-in-law.
This horrific incident happened in Apomu Community, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, and has thrown the community into mourning.
The grandmother, who resides with her son in the same house, decided to terminate the lives of the entire family members, simply because they failed to give her food when due.
She reportedly sprinkled petrol on the victims’ room and ignited a fire with a matchstick, while her son, Victor Oloro; his wife, Rachael, and their children, Toluwani and Blessing, were all in the house and deeply asleep in the wee hours of the fateful day.
The ensuing inferno did so much damage to the family members that the doctors at the Federal Medical Center, in Owo, could not salvage the situation when their neighbours rescued and rushed them to the facility.
The grandchildren are still hospitalised at the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Killer grandma dies
Reports from the family members indicated that the grandma died a few days after she was rushed to the hospital.
She reportedly died at the Federal Medical Center, in Owo, where she was equally admitted for treatment, having sustained some degrees of burns during the inferno.
How she perpetrated the devilish act
An eyewitness, who narrated the sad incident, Korede Michael, said: “We saw the house on fire around 2:00 am and had to break the window to rescue everyone in the house.
“The woman, her son, Victor Oloro; wife, Rachael and children, Toluwani and Blessing, were all in the house when the woman set it on fire.
“She got some dry palm fronds and the little petrol her son kept in a gallon (for generator), pour it around the house and then put fire to it.”
Grandma attempted suicide last year in protest
Neighbours alleged that the grandmother had attempted to commit suicide last year after her complaints were not listened to by the son.
A neighbour, who narrated the incident, said: “In 2022, the grandmother had attempted suicide by jumping into a well, but was quickly rescued by neighbours who were around in the house.
“After the attempted suicide, the family members held a meeting and decided to relocate the old woman back to her village, but she refused to insist that the house his son and his family members were living in was built by her late husband.
“That was the main reason she couldn’t be sent packing after she began to behave strangely in the house.
“Other family members pleaded with the son to keep tolerating her until she decided to terminate the lives of the entire family members of the son.”
My target was my daughter-in-law
Grandma Iforiti, during interrogation by police detectives, regretted her action and confessed that her target was her daughter-in-law, who deliberately starved her of food.
Police sources said that the suspect, who regretted her action, claimed that she wanted to kill her daughter-in-law, Rachael, not her son, Victor Oloro and grandchildren.
She claimed that she had an axe to grind with the daughter-in-law, who deliberately starved her of food in the house, despite the provisions made by her son.
Why she starved me of food
The deceased grandma told police detectives that her daughter-in-law maltreated her and punished her by starving her of food when due to the feelings that she would pack out of the house in annoyance.
Police sources, who spoke with Vanguard, said: “She decided to punish me by starving me of food. She believed that after starving me for some time, I will leave the house for her. But she has forgotten that the house her family members are living in was built by my late husband and me.
“Nobody can eject me from the house my late husband built with his sweat. It’s just not possible. She wanted her husband and their family to take over the house after I might have left in annoyance.”
I overreacted
She said that she overreacted to the ill-treatment she received from her daughter-in-law.
“She expressed regret that her son also died in the inferno and that if she knew this would happen; she would have found a way to ensure that her son did not sleep in the same room with the wife that day.
“She regretted not separating the son and her grandchildren before setting the house on fire.”
The police source told Vanguard that the grandma did not regret killing her daughter-in-law.
She said that the daughter-in-law was her target, not other family members.
“It is a sad story; the grandmother that set the family of her son ablaze has joined her son and wife that died in the inferno.
“More saddening is that they left the grandchildren with nobody to cater for them. Their parents are dead, and now the grandmother, who ought to take care of them after the death of their parents, has equally died.
“The grandma, out of annoyance, has thrown the entire family into mourning. It’s a sad ending.
“I am sure the grandma couldn’t stand the pains she had caused the family and her death has put paid to her devilish act. Because I don’t know how she would’ve coped after her ungodly act.
“Her death has covered her shame because she wouldn’t have been able to live for long if she was still alive after what she did. The shame would have eventually killed her.”
2 grandchildren survived—Police
Speaking on the ugly incident, the spokesperson of the Ondo Police Command, Funmi Odunlami, said that the two grandchildren, Toluwani and Blessing, survived the inferno.
Odunlami said: “Only the couple died in the inferno. The two grandchildren were injured but they are alive and responding to treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owo.”
Grandma’s son promises to take custody of the kids
A family source confided in Vanguard that another son of the late grandma has volunteered to take custody of the two children after they might have been discharged from the hospital.
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