A Jilted man in Gulu district on Sunday night set himself and wife on fire on allegations that his parents had failed to find ways of settling for his wife’s Dowry.
The man identified as Mr Samuel Ochora, 26 a resident of Laroo Division in Gulu Municipality is reported to have poured petrol on himself and on his wife Ms Annet Auma 19, before lighting a match box and setting them both on fire.
The couple was rescued by neighbors and the Police Fire brigade who later rushed them to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in critical condition.
They however succumbed to the burns they sustained at the Intensive care Unit (ICU) ward were they were admitted.
Mr Ochora passed on on Monday while his wife Auma lost the battle on Wednesday afternoon shortly.
A medical doctor at the ICU who spoke on condition of Anonymity said the couple sustained severe burns that had burnt 80 percent of their bodies burnt.
According to Ms Grace Proscovia Lakot, an Aunt to the deceased Auma, the couple had separated in May this year after a long relationship that started in 2009.
“The couple had not been close to themselves until late last month when Ochora started visiting my home. They started building up their relationship and early this month he had already convinced his wife to go back to his home,” says Ms Lakot.
She added that on the fateful Sunday, the deceased Ochora came along with two of his children to her home and they had discussions of how he would have his wife back.
Ms Lakot said the deceased Ochora on that day complained to her that his parents had failed to follow up on his wife and making any plans to pay some dowry so that he could get back the wife since his saloon business wasn’t paying him enough money. He said he had also been kicked out of their home by his father.
“I counseled him not to worry about the issue of his wife because the issue would be settled later. He was convinced and he even later invited his wife for a night out to his place which the wife accepted. We didn’t know he had intentions of committing suicide,” says Ms Lakot.
The Officer in charge of Crime Gulu Central Police Station, Mr James Aubu said when police visited the scene, they found Ochora lying on the floor next to a compressed jerrycan smelling petrol with 100 percent degree burns.
According to Police reports, Ochora on that Sunday night picked a jerrycan containing petrol and moved out of his house, poured the petrol on his house and then entered inside and poured it on him and then the wife before lighting a fire while shouting that he would die together with his wife.
