Police in Yobe State have arrested a nine-year-old boy accused of setting his family home on fire, resulting in the deaths of four relatives, after his father beat him over a stolen chicken. The incident occurred on August 21, 2026, at Rugan Badali Fulani Settlement in Karasuwa Local Government Area, according to the Yobe State Police Command.
Police Investigation Reveals Deliberate Arson
The Yobe State Police Command disclosed the development on Wednesday, October 7, following an investigation into the fire, which initially appeared to be an accidental outbreak. The Karasuwa Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call reporting a fire at the residence of Abubakar Idi, prompting the Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Jibrin, to direct the Violent Crime Response Unit to investigate.
The investigation revealed that Idi's nine-year-old son had started the fire after his father beat him for allegedly stealing a chicken a day earlier. Police spokesperson ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali said the investigation established that the fire had been deliberately started rather than being an accidental outbreak.
Boy Confesses to Revenge Attack
During an interview with Channels Television, the boy said he sold one of the family's chickens but was reported to his father, who beat him over the incident. He claimed that he bought matches worth ₦50 the following day and set the house on fire while his two stepmothers and two younger siblings were asleep.
“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 boy said. “The following day, I bought ₦50 worth of matches at 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 boy said he raised an alarm after the fire started, prompting people to come to the scene, but he did not initially disclose that he had allegedly started it. He reportedly said he confessed three days later, after which the police arrested him and took him to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
Legal Proceedings and Police Advisory
The police subsequently presented the boy alongside his father, Abubakar Idi, before journalists in Damaturu. Adamu-Ali acknowledged the suspect's age and said the case would be handled in accordance with the applicable laws governing children in conflict with the law. The police said the investigation had reached its concluding stage and that the child would be presented to the appropriate authorities for further legal proceedings.
The command also urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the welfare, behaviour and emotional wellbeing of children under their care. The case has drawn attention to the devastating consequences of the alleged incident, which claimed the lives of four members of the same family.
