A tragic incident has rocked Otofure Community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, where a middle-aged man, Junior Ogbomo, was reportedly set ablaze by his neighbour following a violent altercation.

According to reports by LEADERSHIP, the assailant, simply identified as Mr. Christian, allegedly doused Ogbomo with petrol, lit a matchstick, and set him on fire. The horrifying attack occurred last week.

Ogbomo, a native of Utekon, a neighbouring community, suffered severe burns reportedly covering 70% of his body. He was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in Ugbowo, where he later succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Wednesday.

Following the incident, Mr. Christian fled the community, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.

A member of the Edo State Security Corps, identified as Mr. Favour, revealed that the victim had run to a local vigilante office shortly after the attack, begging to be taken to the hospital to save his life. Despite the efforts, Ogbomo died a few days later due to the severity of his burns.

The case was brought to public attention via a Benin-based radio station.

Efforts to reach the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, SP Moses Yamu, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.