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

The police said the child allegedly set fire to the family house while his two stepmothers and two younger brothers were asleep, resulting in their deaths.

The suspect was said to have committed the act after his father flogged him over an allegation that he had stolen a fowl.

Speaking with journalists in Damaturu yesterday, the suspect, whose name was withheld because of his age, allegedly confessed to setting the house ablaze.

He said he bought matches the following day and set fire to the house.

“I carried one of our fowls to sell. People reported me to my father, and I was beaten. 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,” he said.

The boy added: “People came to the rescue. I did not tell them that I was the one who did it until after three days of prayer. I then confessed and was later arrested by policemen and brought here to Damaturu.”

Parading the suspect alongside his father, Abubakar Idi, the police spokesperson, ASP Yusuf Ali, said the boy remained a suspect despite his age.

Ali said the case would be handled in accordance with the law, stressing that the incident underscored the need for greater attention to criminal activities involving children.

He expressed concern over the development, particularly as the state continues to recover from the effects of Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges.