The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Lawal Faruq for allegedly setting his former lover, Omolola Hassan, on fire inside a military barracks in Ibadan, the state capital.
The gruesome attack reportedly occurred earlier in the week following a violent dispute that erupted after the relationship between the two lovers ended.
Counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who shared details of the incident on X (formerly Twitter), revealed that the suspect confessed to dousing the victim with petrol and setting her ablaze after she decided to end their affair.
“The victim, Omolola Hassan, was reportedly doused in petrol and set on fire by the suspect, who was enraged over the end of their relationship,” Makama wrote.
Eyewitnesses said military personnel at the barracks quickly intervened, extinguished the flames, and rushed the victim to Yawiri Hospital, Akobo, for emergency treatment.
Faruq, who allegedly claimed that he and Hassan had taken an oath “never to part ways,” was immediately taken into custody.
Confirming the incident, the Oyo State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Adewale Osifeso, said an investigation had begun to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
“Investigation is ongoing,” Osifeso said in a brief statement.
Meanwhile, the victim remains hospitalised as authorities intensify efforts to uncover the motive and possible psychological triggers behind the assault.
The case has reignited public outrage over gender-based violence and the need for stronger enforcement of laws protecting women from domestic and relationship-related attacks.
