A young man, Olasunkanmi Kareem, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ekiti High court after being convicted of setting his former boss on fire in a horrific act of violence.
The 41-year-old man, Kareem, was arraigned in court on November 18, 2024, on charges of murder. According to the official charge sheet, Kareem attempted to murder one Omoboriwo Bashiru by setting him ablaze on August 11, 2024, in Ifaki Ekiti.
During the court proceedings, the victim, Bashiru, gave a detailed account of the incident that led to his near-death experience. He stated, “The defendant was once my apprentice at my mechanic workshop. Even after he finished his training, I continued to assist him whenever he had issues with customers' cars.”
He continued, “On the evening of the attack, he called me around 8 p.m., asking about a carburettor I had helped him repair. When I told him I didn’t have it, he became abusive and threatened to set me on fire wherever he found me. At first, I thought he was joking. Later, he called back and told me where he was.”
Bashiru went on, explaining how they met at a vulcanizer’s workshop, and an argument ensued between them. “Unknown to me, he had a gallon of petrol in his hand. Since it was dark, I didn’t see it until he poured it on me. By the time I realized it was petrol, I tried to run, but my body was already on fire. I fell into a drainage, and passersby rescued me and put out the fire. I suffered severe burns and was rushed to the hospital,” Bashiru recounted the traumatic events before the court.
In delivering his judgment, Justice Jibril Aladejana expressed that the defendant had deliberately ambushed the victim, poured petrol on him, and set him ablaze. He stated, “The facts before the court show that the defendant intentionally set out to harm the victim. But for the timely intervention of passersby, the victim would have died. This act of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm amounts to attempted murder.”
Justice Aladejana further added, “In my view, the defendant does not deserve leniency. He should face the full wrath of the law,” before sentencing Kareem to life imprisonment for his violent actions.