Ogun Man Allegedly Kills Estranged Wife, Sets Her Father’s House Ablaze

A 56-year-old man, Madarikan Emehinola, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command over the alleged murder of his estranged wife, 40-year-old Igbagbo Erobe, whose body was discovered after her father’s house was set ablaze in the Igbo Edu area of Abigi, Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.

The arson incident occurred on October 18, 2026, with police investigators suspecting that the suspect killed the mother of six before setting the building on fire to conceal evidence of the crime, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE ALLEGATION

According to police sources at the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Emehinola allegedly arrived at the deceased’s father’s residence at about 1 a.m. with a five-litre keg containing petrol, killed the woman, and subsequently set the building ablaze .

ADVERTISEMENT

Two residents of the area, identified as Seun Igbamerun and another person, reportedly sighted the suspect fleeing from the scene with the petrol container while the building was burning.

They raised the alarm and alerted the woman’s relatives and security agencies.

Following a search, security personnel in a neighbouring community spotted the suspect at a junction, arrested him with the remaining petrol in the keg, and handed him over to the police at Abigi Divisional Police Station.

Police detectives also reportedly discovered bloodstains suspected to be connected with the killing on the petrol container recovered from the suspect .

THE SUSPECT’s DEFENCE

Emehinola, an indigene of Igbokoda in Ondo State, has denied involvement in the crime, claiming that he had stopped visiting the deceased after she told him she had found another husband and was no longer interested in their relationship .

He said they had lived together until January 2026, when Erobe told him she wanted to return home for work.

He claimed he had been visiting her in Igbo Edu until June, when she called and warned him not to come again. “I was surprised because we had no disagreement, but I did not say anything,” he said. “One of my friends, who is based in Igbo Edu, also called me and said my wife had a new husband and advised me not to visit the place again. Since that day, I made up my mind not to go there again, and I have not returned”.

He further claimed that he was arrested at Obi Market at about 3 a.m. on a market day, insisting that he had gone there to sell his goods and that the five-litre keg was intended for purchasing petrol for his engine boat.

“I did not know that my father-in-law’s house had been burnt until I was arrested and taken to Igbo Edu,” he said .

THE CONTEXT

The relationship between Erobe and Emehinola reportedly lasted about two years before the woman ended it and began a new relationship earlier this year.

The deceased had been living in her father’s house since the breakdown of the relationship.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased’s body had been deposited at a mortuary for a post-mortem examination .

WHY IT MATTERS

This is a tragedy that has shattered a family and left six children without a mother. The circumstances are still under investigation, and the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

But the allegations are grave: a woman killed, a house set on fire, and a community left in shock.The police have made an arrest. The Homicide Section of the SCID is investigating. And the truth will be determined by the evidence.

For the family of Igbagbo Erobe, the loss is immeasurable. For the suspect, the legal battle has just begun. And for the community of Igbo Edu, the scars of that night will not heal quickly. ValidViewNetwork reports.