The prime suspect in the killing of University of Jos graduate Ibrahim Pilasar Mbaya, popularly known as Ibee, has admitted to striking the deceased three times with a wooden plank after he was accused of stealing an iPhone 12.
According to Punch, Emmanuel Newyear told police that Mbaya initially claimed the missing phone was in Angwan before mentioning another location. He said they searched both places without finding the device and that he slapped Mbaya before hitting him with the plank because he believed the victim was concealing the phone’s whereabouts.
“I was the one that hit him with the plank three times. He first told me the phone was in Angwan. Later, he mentioned another place. We searched everywhere but didn’t find the phone,” Newyear said.
He added that he later told others to stop beating Mbaya and left the scene, but on returning one or two hours later, found a crowd around the victim and noticed his hair had been shaved and he appeared to have been hanged.
The phone’s owner, Rinji Daniel Fwanji, told investigators that Mbaya had spent the night at his residence before both he and the phone went missing. He identified Newyear as the first person to assault Mbaya and said the iPhone 12 has yet to be recovered.
