By Paul Joseph
The Plateau State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with the mob killing of a 25-year-old man, Ibrahim Mbaye, popularly known as Mbaya, who allegedly died after being assaulted over accusations of theft in Jos.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Alfred Alabo, disclosed that the incident was reported at about 11:20 p.m. on July 26 by a Good Samaritan at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where some youths had brought an unconscious man under suspicious circumstances.
According to the police, the victim, who was from Rayfield in Jos, was confirmed dead on arrival, and his body has been deposited in the hospital mortuary for an autopsy.
Following investigations, detectives arrested three suspects identified as Rinji Daniel Fwanji, 25, Emmanuel Newyear, 30, and Nensemka Fwanji, 22.
Preliminary findings revealed that Emmanuel Newyear was captured in a viral video repeatedly striking the deceased with a large wooden plank. Police also identified him in photographs obtained during the investigation.
The suspects reportedly told investigators that Mbaye had been accused of stealing an iPhone 12. Instead of handing him over to the police for investigation, they allegedly assaulted him until he became unconscious.
The three suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Jos, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other individuals who fled the scene.
The Plateau State Police Command condemned the incident, stressing that no individual has the legal authority to assault or kill anyone accused of committing an offence.
The command urged residents to always hand over suspects to law enforcement agencies and allow due process to take its course, warning that anyone involved in jungle justice would face the full weight of the law.
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