The Kogi State Police Command has arrested Jacob Irewa, a resident of Oworo Estate, Felele, Lokoja, for allegedly dousing his wife with petrol and setting her on fire following a domestic dispute on Friday, August 14, 2026. Police spokesperson ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat confirmed the arrest, stating that officers received a report of the incident at about 8:30 pm that evening.
Dispute Over Burned Shirts Led to Attack
According to Dailytrust, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect's wife, Berida Irawo, had burned some of his clothes she believed he no longer wore, without telling him. In his statement to police, Irewa said he returned home, bathed, and went to put on one of seven short-sleeved shirts he described as "much cherished," only to find none of them in the room. After searching the house, he confronted his wife, who initially fled outside before admitting she had burned them.
Irewa told investigators: "Out of frustration and anger, I went to where I parked my motorcycle and fetched petrol from it, poured it on her and lit it up with matches. I don't know how it happened; may God have mercy on me." The suspect described himself as an ordained pastor and a teacher based in Irawo village who was on vacation in Lokoja. He also claimed the couple had been married for several years without a child and that he had never previously been violent towards his wife.
Victim Survives, Receiving Treatment
ASP Afusat said Berida Irawo survived the attack and is currently being treated at Honey Gold Hospital in Felele, Lokoja. "The suspect subsequently threatened her, fetched petrol from his motorcycle and proceeded to set her ablaze," the spokesperson said. "The suspect, in his statement to the police, admitted to setting his wife ablaze. The Command has commenced a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and gather further evidence."
Irewa is being held in connection with attempted culpable homicide as the investigation continues.
Related Incident: Fire in Kano
In an unrelated incident, Legit.ng earlier reported that two fires tore through different parts of Kano State on Monday, with one gutting an Access Bank branch in Dawakin Tofa and a second destroying rooms inside a home in Kumbotso Local Government Area. The Kano State Fire Service said the first blaze was reported at around 1:17 pm at the Access Bank premises in Dawanau, Dawakin Tofa. A resident identified as Mr Michael placed the distress call, prompting crews from the Dawanau Fire Station to rush to the scene.
