Yobe Police Arrest 9-Year-Old Boy Over Alleged Deaths of Four Family Members

A nine-year-old boy has been arrested by the Yobe State Police Command over the alleged killing of four members of his family in Rugan Badali community, Karasuwa Local Council.

The police said the child allegedly set fire to the family home while his two stepmothers and two younger brothers were asleep, causing their deaths.
According to the police, the incident followed a dispute between the boy and his father after the child was accused of stealing a fowl. The boy was reportedly beaten by his father over the allegation.

Speaking to journalists in Damaturu, the child, whose name was withheld because of his age, allegedly confessed to setting the house ablaze. He said he bought matches the following day and returned to set the building on fire while the family members were asleep.
The boy reportedly told journalists that he carried one of the family’s fowls to sell, after which people reported him to his father. He said he decided to set the house on fire as revenge for being beaten.

He further claimed that he did not initially tell people he was responsible for the fire. According to his account, he confessed three days later after a period of prayer and was subsequently arrested and taken to Damaturu.
The police spokesperson, ASP Yusuf Ali, who paraded the suspect alongside his father, Abubakar Idi, said the child remained a suspect despite his age. He said the case would be handled in accordance with the law.

Ali expressed concern over the incident, describing it as a reminder of the need for greater attention to criminal activities involving children, particularly in a state still dealing with the effects of the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges.