Arsonists Set Building On Fire As Man Blames Incident On Family of Estranged Wife

Pandemonium erupted in Oduogha quarters in Benin City as unknown gunmen on motorbikes reportedly set a building belonging to one Koko Oteri on fire as sympathizers made frantic efforts to savage property and belongings from the raging midnight fire.

It will be recalled that Koko Oteri became a victim of violent persecution after he was alleged to have committed blasphemy for refusing to follow in the path of Islamic religion, an act which severely exposed him to great threats.

The private residence of Koko Oteri at no.28 Oduogha quarters in Benin City was said to have gone up in flames after suspected unknown gunmen on motorbikes reportedly stormed the community at midnight on the eve of new year, December 31st 2023 .

An eyewitness account who preferred anonymity said that no sooner than Mr .Koko Oteri had gone to church for the new year celebration service when the arsonists on motorbikes stormed the community and set the building ablaze before fleeing on their motorbikes.

The embattled Koko Oteri was said to have hurriedly rushed down from church to his house only to see the entire building in ruins as sympathizers were seen making frantic efforts to savage some valuables from the raging midnight inferno.

Earlier in the day, the estranged wife of Koko Oteri, Fatima was said to have reportedly moved her belongings out of her husband’s house with her son to reunite with her family in Auchi, her hometown.

According to information made available in the community, Koko Oteri had been in a running battle with the family of his wife over his refusal to continue with commitment to Islamic worship in line with his in-laws religious beliefs as earlier agreed before seeking Fatima’s hand in marriage.

However, the marriage was said have broken down irretrievably as Koko Oteri, a devoted Christian by birth, could no longer continue with the Islamic worship after his marriage to Fatima, thereby setting him on collision course with his Fatima’s family in Auchi.

Koko Oteri, after suddenly renouncing Islamic faith in early January 2021 , was thereafter exposed several calamities including death threats as he was on several occasions threatened by his in-laws for making such a rash decision which led to him being severely persecuted.

It was gathered that several other calamities and threats to his life had befallen him before the tragic fire outbreak of December 31st 2023 as his wife was interrogated by the police after Koko Oteri reported the incident of fire outbreak at his private residence in Benin City.

According to the information made, Koko Oteri as a popular businessman lost several millions of naira when one of his trucks conveying onions and yams from northern Nigeria was attacked and set ablaze in July 2021 in Kaduna State.

Again on December 7th 2022, Koko Oteri was kidnapped on the Benin-Lagos route along the Ofosu axis and held for 4 days before he was thereafter released unconditionally to go home.

However, no arrest was made after the recent fire outbreak in Oduogha quarters in Benin City as there are strong indications that the families of his estranged wife are said to be responsible for maliciously orchestrating every calamities in the life of the embattled Koko Oteri.