11-year-old boy nabbed trying to set Abuja mosque ablaze

An 11-year-old boy (names withheld) was yesterday afternoon arrested by the police at Nyanya Division for allegedly trying to set ablaze the Area B/C Mosque, near Customs Quarters in Nyanya, Abuja.

 Imam of the mosque, Zubairu Mohammed, told newsmen that the boy had earlier set fire to one of the Mosque’s Qur’anic classroomc and did not know that a security man was sleeping inside and had noticed the fire.

He said the security man after extinguishing the fire, sighted the boy holding a gallon of fuel as well as a box of matches near the main Mosque and apprehended him.

“The incident happened during the time of Juma’at Prayers (1:30 pm) and it was my security who first alerted me before I rushed down to see the boy with a gallon and box of matches,” the Imam said.

The Imam said he ordered that the boy be kept with the mosque’s security’s custody and went to Jumat service.

He said a senior Imam was told of the incident and he sent for the police, who took the boy to their station.

The Imam praised the divisional police officer for his effort in calming the situation and beginning the investigation.

At the Nyanya Police Station, the divisional police officer was not on seat but one Sergeant O. Ibrahim, said that the boy, a Christian, confessed that his accomplice, a student of one of the secondary schools in Nyanya, escaped when he was caught.

“The boy is with the juvenile section of the station and we are investigating the matter because it is very serious,” the police officer said.