The Police in Ondo on Tuesday paraded Deji Adenuga, who set nine members of his girlfriend’s family ablaze at Igbodigo in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The 45-year-old suspect was said to have allegedly carried out the dastardly act following a disagreement between him and his girlfriend, Titi Sanumi.

According to reports, Sanumi terminated her relationship with Adenuga after discovering that he was an ex-convict.

Adenuga, who was paraded before journalists at the headquarters of the police command in Akure, the state capital, explained that his estranged girlfriend and her sister, identified as Jumoke, who was among the deceased, had been extorting money from him for a long time.

He explained that he and Sanumi had been living like a husband and wife since last year, saying the disagreement began when his girlfriend collected money from him to start a business but she squandered the money and terminated her four-month pregnancy. He added that they had dragged themselves to the police station for settlement on many occasions.

He narrated,

” What actually happened was that she (Titi) aborted the four-months-old pregnancy that she had for me while we were dating each other. We have been having issues in recent times and I have spent lots of money on her. I gave her the sum of N30,000 to do petty trading as she sells sachet water.

“Later, I gave her another sum of N25, 000 to keep for me, making N55, 000 but I think she spent the money lavishly because she was staying with me. While she was staying with me, her elder sister called Jumoke used to collect money from me. I later discovered that the were extorting me.

“The elder sister (Jumoke) always controlled and taught her what to do things against me and the issue became open that we dragged ourselves to police station. We later resolved all the issues but surprisingly, Titi parked her property out of the my house saying her sister said I should come and pay N20, 000 for her dowry before she would return.

“I begged them to give me time to look for money, and do the needful but they refused and started playing pranks on me, after I have spent so much on her. I now went to the station to report what she and her elder sister were doing to me but the police saw it as a small issue which could be resolved amicably.

“After we left the station, they began to abuse me and made jest of me saying I am a failure and not even a man for dragging them to the police station. In fact, they threatened me. They said they would deal with me and even kill me if I did not desist from reporting them on the street. I now see those words as big threats. So I believe I had to act fast before they carried out their threats.

“That same day, I planned to take the action and I went to the petrol station at night, bought a fuel and stormed their house and poured petrol inside the room while I ran away. My intention was to kill Titi and her sister, I didn’t mean to kill the entire family. “

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Undie Adie described Adenuga as a notorious criminal, who was once being imprisoned following a murder case.

According to the commissioner,

“It is unfortunate to note that the same suspect is notorious for committing heinous crime especially murder as he had earlier killed his former wife named Abiye, sometimes in year 2000, which led to his being remanded in Olokuta Prison.

“He, however, escaped with other inmates during a jailbreak in 2013. The earlier murder case is also going to be looked into with a view to having him face the full weight of the law.”

He said Sanumi was currently undergoing treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state.