​UNIJOS Graduate Tortured to Death Over Missing iPhone 12 in Jos

​The Plateau State Police Command has intensified its manhunt following the brutal mob killing of Ibrahim Pilasar Mbaya, a 25-year-old Political Science graduate of the University of Jos awaiting mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps. The tragedy, which occurred on July 26, 2026, was triggered by allegations that the victim stole an iPhone 12.

​Suspect Interrogations and Confessions

​Four primary suspects are currently in police custody following a televised interrogation conducted by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alobo:

• ​Emmanuel Newyear (30): Acknowledged as the principal assailant captured in viral footage, admitting he slapped the victim and struck him three times with a wooden plank after searches for the missing device across multiple locations proved futile.
• ​Rinji Daniel Fwanji (25): The owner of the missing iPhone 12, who noted that Mbaya had stayed over at his residence following an outing before disappearing alongside the device early in the morning.
• ​Joshua Tell: Admitted to assisting in restraining and tying the victim’s legs during the assault.
• ​Nensemka Fwanji: Confessed to witnessing the severe beating and subsequently transporting the unconscious victim to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
• ​Tisloh Joshua: Recently apprehended by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) following sustained intelligence gathering.

​Police authorities confirmed that two additional suspects remain at large, with operations underway to bring them to justice.

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​Public Outrage and Police Stance

​The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from civil society organizations, student unions, and alumni associations, who are demanding immediate accountability. Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, the victim’s younger sister decried the brutal act, describing Mbaya as a peaceful, industrious individual with no prior record of theft.

​The Plateau State Command has strongly denounced the resurgence of extrajudicial violence, urging citizens to avoid taking the law into their own hands and to hand over suspects to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution.