Man sentenced to death for killing wife, brother-in-law in Lagos

A Lagos State High Court, presided over by Justice Sherifat Sonaike at Tafawa Balewa Square, has sentenced Benjamin Ogundero to death by hanging for the brutal murder of his wife, Chinyere Ogundero, and her brother, Ifeanyi Joseph, in April 2022.

According to the judgment delivered on Thursday, February 27, 2025, Ogundero was found guilty of setting both victims on fire as they slept in their home in Abule Ado, Lagos, following a violent domestic dispute. Justice Sonaike stated that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Ogundero had meticulously planned and carried out the attack, describing his actions as “wickedness of the highest order” and one of the most heinous crimes imaginable.

The prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecution Mr. Martins Babajide, argued that Ogundero’s rage was fueled by resentment over his wife’s ownership of the house a property she had purchased during her banking career. Eyewitness accounts painted a horrific scene: one witness recounted that Chinyere’s body was so severely burned that her limbs became detached, while Ifeanyi Joseph died from fatal burns that halted his blood circulation. Another neighbor testified to seeing Ogundero fleeing the burning house with a fuel container, further linking him to the crime.

In addition to the death sentence for murder, the court found Ogundero guilty on four counts of murder and arson. For the arson charges, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, which will begin from the date of his conviction. Throughout the trial, the defendant showed no remorse, leading the judge to conclude that he deserved the maximum penalty.

Ogundero, 50, was initially arraigned on December 7, 2022, on a four-count charge of murder, following allegations that on April 1, 2022, at around 3:30 a.m. at House 5, Zone 7, Oteyi Garden Estate, Abule Ado, Amuwo Odofin, he doused his wife and her brother with petrol and set them ablaze while they slept.