The alleged torture and killing of a 25-year-old University of Jos (UNIJOS) student over a missing iPhone has sparked outrage across Nigeria, with police confirming the arrest of three suspects linked to the incident.
The victim, Ibrahim Mbaya, popularly known as Ibee Mbaya, was reportedly accused of stealing an iPhone 12 at an off-campus residence in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. Instead of reporting the allegation to the authorities, he was allegedly subjected to hours of brutal assault before he was taken unconscious to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where doctors confirmed him dead.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, said officers received a report around 11:20 p.m. on Sunday from a Good Samaritan who alerted them that an unconscious man had been brought to the hospital under suspicious circumstances. Investigations led to the arrest of Rinji Fwanji (25), Emmanuel Newyear (30), and Nensemka Fwanji (22), while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects who fled.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects accused Mbaya of stealing the phone before taking the law into their own hands. Authorities also identified one of the suspects, Emmanuel Newyear, in a viral video allegedly using a large wooden plank to beat the victim. The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Witness accounts circulating online claim Mbaya spent Saturday night at a friend’s apartment behind the City of David area in Jos before the theft allegation emerged the following morning. Several social media videos, widely shared after the incident, allegedly show the victim tied up, suspended, beaten, and forced to perform degrading tasks while in severe physical distress. PREMIUM TIMES reported it could not independently verify every aspect of those claims.
The killing has drawn widespread condemnation from the University of Jos Alumni Association, which described the incident as a senseless act of violence that contradicts the institution’s values of respect, character and humanity. The association called for a transparent investigation and urged authorities to ensure everyone involved is prosecuted according to the law.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also condemned the alleged mob killing, insisting that no accusation justifies jungle justice. NANS President Akinteye Babatunde said reports suggested the allegedly stolen phone was never recovered from the deceased, adding that the arrest of suspects was a positive step toward justice.
The Plateau State Police Command warned Nigerians against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that criminal allegations should always be reported to law enforcement agencies. The command reiterated that every suspect is entitled to due process under Nigeria’s criminal justice system and assured the public that all those responsible for Ibrahim Mbaya’s death would be brought to justice.
