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.

According to report, 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.

The Yobe State Hisbah Commission has arrested six women suspected of engaging in sex work during an operation in Gadaka, Fika Local Government Area of the state.

The women were arrested in the Abuja area of Gadaka town during a weekend operation conducted by operatives of the commission’s Fika Local Government Area command.

The operation also targeted locations suspected of selling and processing alcoholic drinks, according to the commission.

Head of Administration of the commission in Fika LGA, Malam Musa Abari Talba, who confirmed the arrests, said the operation was part of efforts to check activities considered contrary to the religious and moral values of the community.

Talba said the operatives also embarked on awareness campaigns during the exercise, warning residents against activities they described as harmful to the peace and moral conduct of the society.

He said: “The operation was carried out by our men at the weekend in the Abuja area of Gadaka. Six women suspected of engaging in sex work were arrested.”

According to him, the operatives also visited locations suspected of selling and processing alcoholic drinks, where residents were cautioned against activities prohibited by law.

He added that the commission used the opportunity to preach to residents and encourage them to comply with the law and shun practices considered detrimental to the community.

Talba said the exercise was not limited to arrests, stressing that the commission’s broader objective was to promote peace, discipline and good moral conduct among residents.

He further disclosed that similar operations would continue across the local government as part of efforts to ensure compliance with the law and promote peaceful and orderly communities.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that one of its helicopters made a precautionary landing on a farmland in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, after returning from an operation against suspected kidnappers.

The helicopter landed on Wednesday at Utur Tse-Igboji community in Bar Council Ward, along the Welfare Quarters–Mopol 13 Ring Road area of Makurdi.

The aircraft was returning from an operation conducted in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State, close to the Enugu-Benue boundary, where it provided close air support to ground troops engaged in operations against suspected kidnappers.

In a statement, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the operation had successfully disrupted the activities of the suspected criminals and supported the advance of surface forces.

According to him, the pilot subsequently exercised professional discretion and landed the helicopter approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield in accordance with established operational and safety procedures.

The statement read in part: “The helicopter had successfully provided close air support to surface forces during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State, near the Enugu-Benue boundary. The operation disrupted the activities of the criminal elements and supported the advance of surface forces.

“Following the successful completion of the mission, the pilot, on return to base, exercised his professional discretion to execute a precautionary landing approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield.

“This is in accordance with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions. The helicopter has returned to base.

“The NAF remains committed to sustaining pressure on criminal elements, providing close air support to surface forces and protecting communities through coordinated air and ground operations.

“The successful outcome underscores the NAF’s continued resolve to deny criminal elements freedom of action and support efforts to restore safety and security to affected communities.”

The incident occurred two days after a NAF aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.

The aircraft, an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, plunged into a swamp opposite the naval base in the early hours of Monday.

The NAF said the helicopter involved in the Benue incident has since returned to base, while reaffirming its commitment to supporting ground forces and conducting coordinated operations aimed at protecting communities and improving security in affected areas.