The Yobe State Police Command has arrested a nine-year-old boy for allegedly setting a house on fire, resulting in the d3aths of his two stepmothers and two younger brothers.
The incident occurred at Rugan Badal, a hamlet in Karasuwa Local Government Area of the state.
According to the police, the minor allegedly set his family home ablaze to exact revenge on his father, who had punished him for stealing a fowl.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television, the young suspect chillingly detailed how and why he carried out the act.
“I carried one of our fowls to sell; the general public, looking at my age, reported me to my father, and I was beaten,” he said.
“The following day, I bought N50 worth of matches in the neighbourhood while my two stepmothers and two younger brothers were asleep; I set our house on fire as revenge for what my father did to me.”
The fire quickly engulfed the residence while the victims were trapped inside.
The minor claimed that after starting the blaze, he raised an alarm to draw the attention of neighbors.
“Although when the house caught fire, I only shouted for help and people came for the rescue, I did not tell them that I was the one who did it until after three days of prayer; I now confessed and was later arrested by policemen and brought here to Damaturu,” he added.
The Yobe State Police Command paraded the suspect alongside his father, Abubakar Idi, on Tuesday.
The spokesperson for the command, ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali, acknowledged the suspect’s young age but emphasized that the gravity of the crime requires legal accountability to serve as a deterrent to others.
The tragic incident has left the local community in shock, raising questions about domestic discipline, child psychology, and the accessibility of dangerous materials to minors.
Investigations into the matter are ongoing.