Four suspects linked to the brutal killing of Ibrahim Mabaye, a Political Science Student of University of Jos, have recounted how they killed their fellow student over alleged phone theft.
The suspects made the revelations while being paraded at the State Police command.
The incident occurred on Sunday at an off-campus apartment behind the City of David area, along Ring Road in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The unfortunate incident has caused outrage in many communities due to the brutal nature of the torture Mabaye was subjected to.
A video of the incident, which has generated widespread outrage, has gone viral, showing how the suspects beat Mabaye with planks and canes and subsequently subjected him to other forms of punishment that led to his death.
Emmanuel Newyear, a 30-year-old, admitted that he participated in the torture of the deceased.
He said: “On the 26 of this month, my cousin came to my place informing that his phone was missing. He said they have called the deceased and had come to the apartment.
“When we interrogated him, he told us the phone was at the Naraguta hostel beside a tree but we checked and we didn’t see it. He later told us that the phone was at Rayfield and we went there but din’t see it. We all returned to the hostel. People had already gathered at the compound.
“I first slapped him inside the room and later brought him outside. I was the one that hit him with plank three times. I beat him because I want him to tell me where the phone is. I know him through my cousin brother,” Newyear explained.
Teslor Joshua, another suspect, admitted that he participated in the torture of the deceased, noting that he participated in holding his hand, when they were tying him with rope.
Rinji Daniel, the owner of the phone, also gave an account of the incident.
Daniel said: “We came back from an event on that day and Ibee said he would pass the night in my room. He later said he wanted to go outside to answer a call. He did not come back on time and my brother and I later slept while my phone and my brother’s power bank were charging. I woke up around 4 a.m. and didn’t see the deceased. Only two of us were on the bed. I expected three of us because he only told me he was going to answer a call outside.
“I checked for my phone and discovered it was not there and the power bank was missing too. I checked outside and didn’t see him. I called his number and he was not picking. I tried my phone but it was switched off. I used another person’s phone to call his number, he then picked the call and cut it again. I then reported the case to my cousin. That is where the whole thing started.”
