A prosecution witness, Mrs. Uche Uwalaka, testified on Monday before a Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square that the murder suspect, Benjamin Ogudoro, who allegedly burnt his wife and brother‑in‑law to death, has caused her family immense pain. Uwalaka, whose sister Chinyere Ogundoro and brother‑in‑law Ifeanyi Edeziem were the victims, said her mother is now deceased and remains in the mortuary, overwhelmed by grief and shock from losing two children on the same day.
Leading the evidence in chief, the Director of Public Prosecution, Dr. Babajide Martins, heard Uwalaka describe how the defendant’s actions have left her brother’s wife a widow and stranded her late sister’s four children. “I am pleading for justice because of the pain of losing my siblings to the action of the defendant,” she said.
The defendant is currently on trial for alleged murder before Justice Sherifat Sonaike. Ogundoro, 50, was arraigned on 7 December 2022 on four counts of murder brought by the Lagos State Government. He is accused of killing his wife, Chinyere—who had just returned from Scotland—and her brother, Ifeanyi, by setting them ablaze. The prosecution alleges the incident occurred on 1 April 2022 at about 3:30 a.m. at House 5, Zone 7, Oteyi Garden Estate, Abule Ado, in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos State. According to the state, the defendant poured petrol on the bodies of his wife and brother‑in‑law, as well as on a mattress, and ignited them while they slept, causing their deaths. The offences are said to contravene Sections 223 and 341 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. The defendant pleaded not guilty, and the trial commenced immediately.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the deceased’s sister concluded her testimony and was subsequently cross‑examined. She recounted that her late brother had told her what transpired before he died while she was with him at the hospital. The second prosecution witness, Stanley Ulasi, a former tenant of the defendant, also narrated to the court how the two siblings were burnt to death. The case was adjourned until 16 February for the continuation of the trial.
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