An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Olasunkanmi Kareem, to life imprisonment for attempting to murder his former boss by setting him on fire.
Kareem was arraigned on November 18, 2024, facing a single charge of attempted murder, in violation of Section 241 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021. According to the charge, he attempted to kill Omoboriwo Bashiru by dousing him in petrol and igniting it on August 11, 2024, in Ifaki Ekiti.
In court, the victim recounted his harrowing experience: “The defendant was once my apprentice at my mechanic workshop. After he graduated, I continued to help him with issues related to customers’ cars. On that day, he called me around 8 PM to ask about a carburettor I had repaired for him.
“When I told him I hadn’t seen it, he became hostile and threatened to set me on fire if he ever found me. I thought it was just a joke. Later, I try to meet him at a vulcanizer’s workshop, where we got into an argument. Unbeknownst to me, he was holding a gallon of petrol.
“It was dark, and I didn’t realize what he had until he poured it on me. As soon as I recognized the petrol, I tried to escape, but I was already engulfed in flames. I fell into a drainage, and thankfully, some passersby helped to extinguish the fire. I sustained severe burns and had to be rushed to the hospital,” Bashiru explained.
The prosecution, led by Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented four witnesses and submitted Kareem’s statements, photographs of the victim, and a medical report as evidence. Kareem testified in his defense but did not call any witnesses.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Jibril Aladejana stated that Kareem had intentionally lured the victim to a location, ambushed him, and doused him with petrol before setting him on fire.
“The evidence presented shows that the defendant acted with the intent to harm the victim. If not for the quick actions of bystanders, the victim could have died. This deliberate act of inflicting serious bodily harm constitutes attempted murder,” the judge ruled.
Justice Aladejana emphasized that Kareem did not deserve leniency, stating he should face the full consequences of the law, and subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.
