The Plateau State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the alleged mob killing of Ibrahim Mbaya, a Jos-based model and graduate of the University of Jos, while two other suspects remain on the run.
Mbaya was allegedly beaten to death on Sunday after being accused of stealing an iPhone 12. He was rushed to the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead on arrival.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, said investigations revealed that six people were directly involved in the attack.
The suspects currently in police custody were identified as Tisloh Joshua, Rinji Daniel Fwanji, Emmanuel Newyear, and Nensemka Fwanji.
According to Alabo, the police were alerted by a good Samaritan who reported that a young man had been taken to the hospital in critical condition after suffering a brutal assault.
“Through a Good Samaritan, the Plateau State Police Command received information that a young man had been taken to the hospital in a very critical condition,” Alabo said.
He explained that detectives immediately launched an investigation after learning that the victim had died from injuries sustained during the attack.
“Based on that information, we swung into action and arrested three suspects. During interrogation, they confessed to their various roles in the crime,” he said.
Alabo disclosed that another suspect was later arrested, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to four.
“We have established that about six persons were directly involved in this incident, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects,” he added.
The police spokesperson alleged that one of the key suspects, Emmanuel Newyear, was seen actively attacking the deceased with a wooden plank during the incident.
He also revealed that preliminary investigations showed the suspects shared a common background linked to the same educational institution.
According to Alabo, the police are working closely with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to ensure everyone involved in the killing is identified and brought to justice.
“The four suspects you are seeing today are already in our custody, and we will continue to pursue the remaining suspects until they are all arrested,” he said.
Alabo added that officials of NANS attended the parade of the suspects to demonstrate their condemnation of the incident and support efforts to ensure justice is served.
