A police inspector in Taraba State has been arrested after allegedly killing his 11-year-old nephew and secretly burying him, sparking outrage that led to a mob attack before officers intervened.
According to an internal police wireless message obtained, addressed to the Taraba State Commissioner of Police, the incident occurred on December 5, 2025, when officers of the GRA Division in Jalingo received a distress call that a policeman was being beaten by an angry crowd.
On arrival at the scene, detectives found the Inspector, Philemon Ayuba, service number AP/No. 335430, being assaulted by residents who accused him of killing a child identified as Hosanna Yunana, 11, who had been living with him in the Nyabunkaka area.
Police officers quickly rescued the inspector and moved him into custody.
In the police wireless message, Inspector Ayuba allegedly confessed that on the evening of December 3, he confronted the boy for allegedly stealing ₦60,000 belonging to him.
The message stated that the boy reportedly fled towards a riverside, where the officer pursued him.
During the chase, the inspector allegedly beat the boy, who then collapsed and died. He later buried the body in a shallow spot and did not report the incident.
The officer reportedly led detectives to the location where the body had been buried.
However, police later recovered the remains and transferred them to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, for examination.
The suspect remains in custody, and the case is to be transferred to the State CID for further investigation.
Meanwhile, a video obtained shows the police officer lying on the ground while other officers stood around him as residents shouted in the background.
The short clip captures the tense moment before the rescue.
The statement read, “INFORMED THAT X DATE 05/12/2025 AT ABOUT DBIOHRS X INFORMATION REACHED MINE THAT X A POLICEMAN WAS SEEN BEING BEATEN UP BY AN ANGRY MOB X IMMEDIATELY EYE MOBILIZED AND LEQ DETECTIVES AND PATROL TEAMS MINE X TO THE SCENE X ON ARRIVAL X WE FOUND ONE AP/NO.335430 INSPR PHILEMON AYUBA X SERVING MINE BUT ON SPECIAL DUTY AT DOPS JALINGO X BEING BEATEN UP BY AN IRATE MOB X IMMEDIATELY X WE RESCUED THE SAID INSPECTOR X BUT THE MOB INFORMED MINE THAT THE INSPECTOR KILLED HIS YOUNG NEPHEW X ONE HUSANNA YUNANA ‘M’,X IIYRS OLD X WHO WAS STAYING WITH HIM AT HIS HOUSE IN NYABUNKAKA AREA MINE X ON INTERROGATION X THE INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT X IN THE EVENING OF 03/12/2025 X THE SAID HOSANNA YUNANA STOLE HIS SIXTY THOUSAND NAIRA (N60,000) X AND WHILE HE WAS ASKING HIM ABOUT THE MONEY X THE SAID HOSANNA YUNANA RAN AWAY TOWARDS THE RIVER SIDE X THEN HE PURSUED HIM AND CAUGHT HIM X AND STARTED BEATING HIM UNTIL HE FELL DOWN DEAD X HE THEN BURIED HIM IN A SHALLOW GRAVE X THE INSPECTOR FURTHER REVEALED WHERE HE BURIED THE DECEASED X HE WENT FURTHER TO PERSONALLY EXHUME THE ALREADY DECOMPOSING CORPSE X MEANWHILE CORPSE EVACUATED TO FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER (FMC) JALINGO X FOR POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION X WHILE THE SUSPECT IS IN CUSTODY MINE X CASE WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO SCID SOONEST X ABOVE FOR YOUR INFORMATION.”
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