Landlord sets six youths ablaze for smoking hemp

The Ogun
State Police
Command has arrested a middle-aged
man, Mukaila Adebesin, for allegedly
setting ablaze six people in Ita Balogun
Compund, Ago-Oko, Abeokuta.
The victims are Adesanya, 20, Sulaiman
Adebesin, 20, Saburi Seteolu 18, Raheem Bello
19, Azeez Alabi 20, and Kola Sodeinde 19.
It was gathered that the victims were allegedly
set ablaze by Adebesin at 7pm because they
were gambling and smoking Indian hemp on his
premises.
A witness, who pleaded anonymity, said
Adebesin, a commercial bus driver, had just
returned from an outing when he saw the six
youths in his compound.
He said, "Their activities made the driver
engage them in an argument. As the talks
became heated, Adebesin reached for a can of
petrol which he emptied on them.
"The victims attempted to flee when it dawned
on them that the liquid poured on them was
petrol.
"But they caught fire from a stick of the Indian
hemp being smoked by one of them. They
suffered high degree burns due to the incident."
Adebesin, who is currently being detained at
Oke-Itoku Police Station, was said to have
turned himself in to the police immediately after
the incident .
Our correspondent gathered that other youths in
the area, on learning of the development,
stormed Adebesin's compound, and vandalised
his apartment and injured his wife who is
currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed
hospital in Abeokuta.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa
Adejobi, said that investigations had already
commenced into the matter.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police,
said, "Adebesin might be charged to court after
the conclusion of investigations. He said four of
the youths had been admitted at the General
Hospital, Ijaiye, while two others were taken to
a private clinic for treatment.
"Information available to us is that the suspect
had an argument with the youths before he
poured PMS on them. For now, we cannot
ascertain other circumstances that led to the
incident but we have the suspect in our
custody."
The police spokesman added that the
command's commissioner, Mr. Ikemefuna
Okoye, also warned youths in the area not to
engage in any reprisals, saying the police would
not condone any act that could disrupt peace in
the state.