A wife, Sarah Ayinde, is on the run after setting her husband, a special constable with the Ogun State Police Command, Abidemi Ayinde, ablaze in the Iperu area of the state.

PUNCH Metro gathered from a source who pleaded anonymity that the incident occurred on December 12 after the couple had engaged in a minor dispute.

The source disclosed to our correspondent on Sunday that the dispute escalated, and the wife resorted to setting the cop ablaze in a retaliatory attempt.

The Source said, “There is an incident in Iperu. A police constabulary was set on fire by his wife. They argued, and the wife set him on fire. He is currently hospitalised.”

Confirming the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Omolola Odutola, told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that the victim was hospitalised following the incident.

She narrated that efforts were underway to apprehend the wife.

“On December 12, 2024, at approximately 10:00 a.m., an attempted murder incident occurred in Iperu. Reports indicate that at No. 20 Igboore Street, Abidemi Ayinde, a male special constable with the police division, was set on fire by his wife, Sarah Ayinde, following a minor dispute.

“The victim was quickly taken to the Bolawatife Hospital for medical attention and is currently in a stable condition.

“The suspect, Sarah Ayinde, remains at large, and efforts are underway to apprehend her. The division’s crime branch is conducting further investigations into the matter,” Odutola said.

PUNCH Metro reported a similar incident in October 2019, when a policeman attached to the Highway Patrol Team of the Lagos State Police Command committed suicide after shooting his wife dead at the prison barracks on Awolowo Road in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.

Our correspondent gathered at the time that a fight broke out between the couple which led the policeman to shoot his wife dead with his gun.

After shooting his wife, it was learnt that the cop also shot himself dead.

PUNCH Metro correspondent who visited the area at the time of the incident gathered that the policeman and his wife were arguing about their marriage when the tragedy occurred.

Credit: PUNCH

A fire outbreak involving a petrol tanker gutted a fuel station in Itam, near the Uyo metropolis of Akwa Ibom State in the early hours of Saturday.

The Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said there was no casualty and that an investigation to unravel the cause of the incident has commenced.

“We received information about a fire outbreak in Itam, and officers were immediately dispatched, there was no casualty and the investigation is still ongoing”, ASP John said

Our correspondent reports that the fuel station caught fire when a truckload of Premium Motor Spirit reportedly supplying fuel to the station went up in flames.

A thick smoke from the fire soon attracted a large crowd of people who stood helplessly by, while Fire Service personnel battled to put out the fire.

Motorists who spoke with journalists expressed concerns about the incident, praying that it should not lead to the loss of lives.

‘What we are afraid of is it resulting in a loss of life, the property and resources lost, might be regained but we don’t want any human life to be affected, ” one motorist said.

A stampede at a children’s funfair in Ibadan has left 35 children dead and six others injured, prompting the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation. The tragic event reportedly stemmed from overcrowding at the venue, where over 7,500 children arrived for an event initially planned for 5,000 participants.

The funfair was co-organized by Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, the ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, and Oriyomi Hamzat, an Ibadan-based broadcaster. Following her arrest, Naomi reportedly collapsed on Friday and was rushed to the Police Hospital at Eleyele for treatment. Oriyomi Hamzat, Chairman of Agidigbo FM and co-organizer, was also hospitalized.

A senior staff member at the hospital confirmed their admission, noting heightened security around the facility. Meanwhile, eight individuals have been detained in connection with the incident, and Agidigbo FM House, a key venue, has been shut down.

Medical officials have provided updates on the victims. At Adeoyo State Specialist Hospital, four children are receiving treatment, while five deaths have been confirmed at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. The hospital clarified that no bodies were taken to its mortuary.

Government and Public Reactions

The Oyo State Government, through its Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, mandated stricter safety measures for public events and warned of severe penalties for negligence. Governor Seyi Makinde described the incident as painful and preventable, announcing the cancellation of his December 25 birthday celebrations in honor of the victims.

The South-West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi expressed their condolences. PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, blamed the tragedy on economic hardship, which drove families to seek free entertainment. He commended the state government’s swift response. Fayemi, in a statement, called the tragedy heartbreaking and prayed for the affected families.