The Plateau State Police Command has arrested and paraded four suspects in connection with the alleged mob killing of Ibrahim Mbaya, a University of Jos graduate and model, while two other suspects remain at large.
Mbaya reportedly died on Sunday after he was accused of stealing an iPhone 12 and allegedly beaten by a mob. He was rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead on arrival.
Speaking on the development, the command’s spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, said investigations showed that six people were directly involved in the attack.
Those currently in police custody were identified as Tisloh Joshua, Rinji Daniel Fwanji, Emmanuel Newyear and Nensemka Fwanji.
Alabo said detectives were continuing efforts to track down the remaining suspects.
“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 the victim later died from injuries sustained during the assault, prompting the police to launch an investigation.
“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.
According to him, another suspect was subsequently arrested, increasing the 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,” Alabo added.
The police spokesperson alleged that one of the principal suspects, Emmanuel Newyear, was seen striking the victim with a wooden plank during the assault.
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He also disclosed that another suspect, Joshua Tell, was taken into custody as the investigation progressed.
Alabo said preliminary findings suggested that the suspects shared a common background connected to the same educational institution.
“We have been working closely with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to ensure that every person involved in this crime is identified and arrested,” he said.
He noted that representatives of NANS attended the parade of the suspects to demonstrate their condemnation of the incident and support the police investigation.
“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. We will also continue to keep members of the public informed as the investigation progresses,” Alabo said.