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One of the four suspects arrested in connection with the torture and killing of University of Jos student Ibrahim Mbaya has admitted to participating in the assault that led to the 25-year-old’s death. The suspect confessed to striking the victim three times with a wooden plank while attempting to coerce a confession regarding a missing iPhone.
The suspect, Emmanuel Newyear, made the admission while being paraded by the Plateau State Police Command in Jos on Wednesday.
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“On the 26th of this month, my cousin came to my place to inform me that his phone was missing. He said they had called the deceased and he had come to the apartment,” Mr Newyear stated.
He explained that the group interrogated Mr Mbaya and took him to several locations where he allegedly claimed the missing phone could be found, though these searches were unsuccessful.
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“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 said.
Another suspect, Teslor Joshua, admitted to restraining the deceased during the assault. “I participated in holding his hands while they were tying him with a rope,” he said.
Rinji Daniel, the owner of the missing iPhone, stated that Mr Mbaya had spent the night in his apartment after they returned from an event because it was too late for him to travel home. According to Mr Daniel, he awoke around 4 a.m. to find that his iPhone and his brother’s power bank were missing. Attempts to recover the items led to the confrontation that resulted in Mr Mbaya’s death.
Burial scheduled for Thursday
Meanwhile, the deceased’s family has announced that Mr Mbaya will be buried on Thursday in Hawul Local Government Area, Borno State.
Speaking to journalists, his younger brother, James Mbaya, described the incident as devastating and noted the family’s profound 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 added that his brother had dreams of building a successful career in modelling and entrepreneurship. The family is calling on the police to ensure that all individuals involved in the killing are prosecuted. “Everyone involved in his death should receive 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.
Background
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 following morning, he was accused of stealing an iPhone as he was among the last people seen in the room. Rather than reporting the allegation to the police, those present allegedly assaulted him for hours.
READ ALSO: Three federal university students kidnapped in Nasarawa
Videos obtained by PREMIUM TIMES showed Mr Mbaya tied up, suspended on iron rods, and repeatedly beaten with planks and other objects before he lost consciousness. He was subsequently taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where doctors confirmed him dead on arrival.
The police initially arrested three suspects before announcing the arrest of a fourth, Teslor Joshua, on July 28. Authorities stated that investigations are ongoing and that efforts have been intensified to apprehend other suspects still at large.
The killing has drawn widespread condemnation from the University of Jos Alumni Association, Amnesty International, and the public, all of whom have called for a thorough investigation and the prosecution of everyone responsible for the mob action.
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