18-year-old girl sets lover ablaze in Makurdi

By ROSE EJEMBI, Makurdi

An 18-year-old girl is reported to have set her boyfriend ablaze in Makurdi, Benue State, in the early hours of Monday.

The incident, which is the third in the last four months, occurred around 2 am at ZakiBiam street in Wadata suburb of Makurdi metropolis.

Neighbours were said to have been alerted to the scene after the victim raised alarm and a call for help.

The loud scream by the victim attracted people who quickly moved in to rescue the young man who reportedly sustained serious degree of burns and has been taken to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Makurdi for medical attention.

Although at the time of this report, it was not yet clear the reason why the girl set her boyfriend ablaze but Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Benue Command, DSP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident, said she was already in police custody.

Anene said the 18-year-old teenage girl poured petrol around the victim’s one-room apartment before setting it on fire.

‘We don’t know yet why she did that. We are yet to question her but I can confirm that she (girl) has been arrested and just brought to our custody.

‘The incident happened about 2:00 am today (Monday) at ZakiBiam street in Wadata. We will let you know further details,’ the PPRO said.

Daily Sun observed that incidences of lovers setting themselves ablaze are becoming rampant in Benue.

Only in October last year, a married man identified as Nicodemus set both himself and his lover, Shiminenge, on fire, both of them dying in a murder-suicide after the lady told him to allow her to go and marry another man since he was already married with children.

Also, in November of 2020 in Gboko, a lady reportedly set her estranged lover ablaze after he called the relationship off on the grounds that the lady was disrespectful to his mother.

In December last year, a young man reportedly set himself ablaze in Aliade Town, Gwer East Local Government Area of the state. (Daily Sun)