A nine-year-old boy has allegedly confessed to setting his father’s house ablaze in a revenge attack that claimed the lives of his two stepmothers and two young stepsisters in Yobe State.
The victims, identified as 28-year-old Bilkisu Bukar, her co-wife, 22-year-old Salma, and Bilkisu’s daughters, eight-month-old Zainab and three-year-old Hafsat, were burnt beyond recognition in the inferno at Ruga Badali Fulani Settlement in Karasuwa Local Government Area.
The tragedy, which occurred in late August, was initially treated as a domestic fire accident until police investigations reportedly uncovered a shocking twist more than a month later.
The boy, identified as Adamu, allegedly told investigators that he deliberately set the house on fire after his father, Abubakar Idi, beat him for selling one of the family’s fowls.
Adamu reportedly claimed that his two stepmothers had reported him to his father over the sale of the chicken, leading to the beating that allegedly triggered his decision to set the house ablaze.
The minor made the startling claims while being paraded alongside his father at the Police Criminal Investigation Department in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, on Wednesday.
Recounting the incident, the boy said he bought matches in the neighbourhood and set fire to the house while his two stepmothers and two younger stepsisters were asleep.
He reportedly said he raised the alarm and called for help when the fire broke out but did not immediately tell those who rushed to the scene that he was allegedly responsible.
According to his account, he disclosed his role three days after the incident before he was eventually arrested by the police.
The deaths of the four family members threw the settlement into mourning, with residents initially struggling to understand how the fire had engulfed the house and killed the women and children.
However, some residents reportedly suspected foul play from the outset, amid claims of frequent disagreements within the family.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some community members initially suspected the father of being responsible for the tragedy.
The source added that suspicion grew after the boy reportedly fled upon learning that his father had been questioned by security operatives, prompting authorities to track him down.
The Yobe State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali, said investigations established that the incident was not an accidental fire but an alleged deliberate act.
He explained that the Karasuwa Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call reporting a fire at Abubakar’s residence, where two of his wives and two children had been burnt beyond recognition.
Further investigations, he said, led detectives to the nine-year-old boy, who allegedly set the house ablaze.
While acknowledging the suspect’s tender age, the police spokesman stressed the gravity of the incident and the need for appropriate legal action.
The case has sparked disturbing questions about family conflict, child discipline and the legal implications of a deadly offence allegedly committed by a minor.
The four victims were later buried at Rugar Audu Badali cemetery in accordance with Islamic rites.
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