Ibrahim Mbaye, a 25-year-old University of Jos (UNIJOS) student, was allegedly lynched due to allegations that he stole a cell phone. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is calling for justice, and the police have detained three suspects.

After being accused of stealing an iPhone, Mbaye was allegedly beaten to death by classmates.

Police investigations revealed that the allegation concerned an iPhone 12, despite early reports claiming it was an iPhone 16.

According to reports, the phone was never discovered in his possession.

Before being transported to the hospital unconscious, Mbaye was allegedly ridiculed, physically attacked by a gang of people, and held in a room.

Three individuals have been detained in relation to the suspected culpable homicide, according to SP Alfred Alabo, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Police Command, who confirmed the occurrence.

According to Alabo, at approximately 11:20 p.m. on July 26, 2026, a Good Samaritan at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) reported to the command that some young people had taken an unconscious guy to the hospital under suspicious circumstances.

Ibrahim Mbaye, 25, of Rayfield, Jos., was identified as the victim by police officers who arrived right away.

According to the police spokesperson, investigators started an investigation right once, and three suspects—Rinji Daniel Fwanji, 25; Emmanuel Newyear, 30; and Nensemka Fwanji, 22—were taken into custody.

Investigations showed that one of the suspects, Newyear, was seen assaulting the deceased with a big wooden plank in a widely shared video, according to Alabo.

Photographs taken during the investigation also allowed for his identification.

He claimed that instead of reporting the incident to law enforcement, the suspects acknowledged under questioning that they beat Mbaye because they thought he was stealing a cell phone.

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