The police command in Ogun says it has arrested a 43-year-old man, Yusuf Hassan, for allegedly setting the apartment of his ex-lover, Busayo Falola, ablaze, burning down the whole building.

Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state police public relations officer, disclosed this in a statement in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Mr Oyeyemi explained that the incident happened at 127, Old Schorlar Palace, Igan Road, Ago Iwoye, in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun at about 1:15 a.m.

He said the suspect was arrested on April 4 by the police.

He added that the arrest followed a report lodged at Ago Iwoye Divisional Headquarters by the 62-year-old landlady of the house, Adejoke Salau.

The PPRO added that the landlady had reported that she heard a noise from one of her buildings within her compound at about 1:15 a.m., and she discovered that the building was on fire while the tenants in the house were trapped there.

Mr Oyeyemi noted that Mr Salau stated that it was the quick intervention of neighbours that rescued the three tenants but said the house got razed by the fire.

He stated that upon the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ago Iwoye, Noah Adekanye, led his men to the scene from where the occupants of the house were invited to the station for interrogation.

” On interrogation, one of the tenants, Falola, informed the police that she saw her ex-lover, Yusuf Hassan, at the back of her window at about 12:30 a.m. on the fateful day.

” She explained further that she was scared to see him at that ungodly hour which made her scream and run out of her room to the room of another tenant.

” This made other tenants to come out in order to check what Hassan was up to, only for them to discover flame coming out from Falola’s room.

” Upon the information, Yusuf Hassan was hunted for and was subsequently apprehended,” he said.

Mr Oyeyemi disclosed that Mr Hassan initially denied knowing anything about the incident but later confessed to being the person who set the house ablaze.

” He confessed further that he intended to burn his ex-lover in her own apartment because he had tried his best to reconcile with her in vain.

” And that was the reason why he bought N500 petrol, poured it into her room through the window and set it on fire,” he said.

Mr Oyeyemi explained that the suspect had been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and possible prosecution.

(NAN)