- Four suspects in police custody confessed during interrogation to striking, restraining, and tying up UNIJOS graduate Ibrahim Pilasar Mbaya after accusing him of stealing an iPhone 12.
- The owner of the missing phone admitted that despite subjecting Mbaya to hours of severe torture and beatings, the device was never found.
- As police track down two remaining fleeing accomplices, the victim’s family, student groups, and civil society organizations are demanding the full prosecution of all perpetrators involved in the vigilante attack.
Chilling details have emerged regarding the brutal murder of Ibrahim Pilasar Mbaya, a Political Science graduate from the University of Jos (UNIJOS), as four suspects currently in police custody offered detailed confessions during interrogation by the Plateau State Police Command.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Mbaya, who was awaiting mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was tortured to death after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12 belonging to his host, Rinji Daniel Fwanji.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Tinubu Approves Army Expansion, Recruitment of 28,000 Personnel
- Aregbesola Claims Record as First Nigerian Governor to Serve Eight Years Without Owning a House
- Ikosi-Ejinrin LCDA Commissions Fully Equipped NSCDC Divisional Headquarters, Donates Patrol Vehicle and Motorcycle to Boost Security
The principal suspect captured in a viral assault video, 30-year-old Emmanuel Newyear, admitted to slapping the victim and striking him three times with a wooden plank after Mbaya gave conflicting locations during search attempts.
A third suspect, Joshua Tell, confessed to holding Mbaya’s legs while others bound him, whereas Nensemka Fwanji admitted to witnessing the torture before eventually carrying the unconscious victim to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Speaking through a police video interrogative session conducted by Police Public Relations Officer SP Alfred Alabo, the phone owner confirmed that the missing device was never recovered despite the deadly assault.
Responding to the tragedy, the victim’s younger sister described Mbaya as a peaceful, hardworking individual who had no history of theft, demanding that those who took the law into their hands face the full weight of the judicial system.
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed that preliminary investigations point to extrajudicial mob violence and noted that a manhunt is active for two remaining suspects at large.
The killing has sparked national outrage, with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and civil society organizations calling for swift justice to end jungle justice across the country.
FURTHER READING
