I hit him three times with a plank, says suspect in UNIJOS student's death

One of the four suspects arrested for the torture and killing of University of Jos student Ibrahim Mbaya has confessed to being part of the attack that led to the 25-year-old’s death. The suspect admitted to hitting the victim three times with a wooden plank while trying to force him to confess about a missing iPhone.

The suspect, Emmanuel Newyear, made this confession while being showcased by the Plateau State Police Command in Jos on Wednesday.

“On the 26th of this month, my cousin came to my place to tell me that his phone was missing. He said they had called the deceased and he had come to the apartment,” Mr Newyear said.

He explained that the group questioned Mr Mbaya and took him to various places where he supposedly said the missing phone could be found, but these searches did not yield anything.

“I first slapped him inside the room and later brought him outside. I was the one who hit him with a plank three times. I beat him because I wanted him to tell me where the phone was,” he stated.

Another suspect, Teslor Joshua, confessed to holding the deceased down during the beating. “I participated in holding his hands while they were tying him with a rope,” he said.

Rinji Daniel, the owner of the missing iPhone, explained that Mr Mbaya had stayed overnight at his place after attending an event. He stated that he woke up around 4 a.m. to find his iPhone and his brother’s power bank missing. Attempts to find the items led to the confrontation that resulted in Mr Mbaya’s death.

Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has announced that Mr Mbaya will be buried on Thursday in Hawul Local Government Area, Borno State.

Speaking with reporters, his younger brother, James Mbaya, described the incident as heartbreaking. He highlighted the family’s deep loss. “His death has devastated us, especially our parents. I don’t think they will ever recover from the shock because he was the first male child of the family. We had great expectations for him,” he said.

Mr Mbaya also mentioned that his brother had dreams of becoming a successful model and entrepreneur. The family is urging the police to make sure all those involved in the killing face justice. “Everyone involved in his death should get the punishment they deserve. Although this won’t bring him back, it is the best thing that can happen after this tragic loss,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that Mr Mbaya died after being tortured at an off-campus apartment behind the City of David, along Ring Road in Jos North Local Government Area, on July 26.

He had reportedly spent the night at a friend’s apartment after attending a social event. The next morning, he was accused of stealing an iPhone since he was among the last people seen in the room. Instead of reporting to the police, those present allegedly beat him for hours.

Videos obtained by PREMIUM TIMES showed Mr Mbaya tied up, hanging on iron rods, and being beaten with planks and other objects until he lost consciousness. He was later taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where doctors confirmed he was dead on arrival.

The police first arrested three suspects before announcing the arrest of a fourth, Teslor Joshua, on July 28. Authorities say investigations are ongoing and that they are working hard to catch other suspects still at large.

The killing has sparked widespread outrage from the University of Jos Alumni Association, Amnesty International, and the public, who are all demanding a thorough investigation and prosecution of everyone involved in the mob attack.