The Yobe State Police Command has taken a nine-year-old boy into custody over an alleged arson attack that claimed the lives of his two stepmothers and two younger brothers.
The incident reportedly happened at Rugan Badal, a settlement in Karasuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Police authorities said the child allegedly started the fire as an act of retaliation after his father punished him for taking a fowl without permission and attempting to sell it.
In an interview with Channels Television, the suspect reportedly explained what led to the incident and how he carried it out.
“I carried one of our fowls to sell; the general public, looking at my age, reported me to my father, and I was beaten.
“The following day, I bought ₦50 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,” he said
The blaze reportedly spread rapidly through the house, leaving the four victims trapped inside.
According to the boy, he subsequently called for help without initially revealing that he had started the fire.
“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 suspect was paraded by the police in Damaturu on Tuesday alongside his father, Abubakar Idi.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali, confirmed the arrest and noted the suspect’s age, while stressing the seriousness of the alleged offence and the need for appropriate legal action.
The deaths have reportedly caused distress in the community and renewed concerns over child discipline, the emotional wellbeing of minors and the ease with which children can obtain potentially dangerous materials.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are still ongoing.
9-year-old allegedly burns stepmothers, brothers over punishment in Yobe