13-year-old boy allegedly sets Yobe family home ablaze, kills four sisters
By: Zagazola Makama
A 13-year-old boy has allegedly set his family home ablaze in Yobe State, resulting in the deaths of four of his sisters following a dispute with his father.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred after the boy was beaten by his father before the man left home for town.
During questioning, the boy allegedly admitted that he had taken his father’s cock without permission and was beaten after the incident.
The boy reportedly told investigators that he subsequently set the family house on fire while his sisters were inside.
Four of the children were trapped in the building and died in the fire, according to accounts of the incident.
The case has generated public concern, particularly over the alleged motive behind the attack and the fact that the victims were the boy’s own siblings.
The incident has also raised questions about the appropriate legal and rehabilitation measures applicable to children accused of committing serious offences.
Under Nigeria’s child justice framework, children in conflict with the law are generally treated differently from adults, with emphasis placed on rehabilitation, correction and reintegration rather than adult criminal punishment.
The tragic case has left the families and community mourning the loss of four children, while the 13-year-old remains at the centre of investigations into the circumstances surrounding the fire.
