A police inspector in Taraba State has been arrested after allegedly killing his 11-year-old nephew and burying him in a shallow grave — an incident that triggered outrage and a mob attack before officers intervened.
According to an internal police wireless message obtained by SaharaReporters, the incident occurred on December 5, 2025, when officers of the GRA Division in Jalingo received a distress call that a policeman was being assaulted by angry residents.
On arrival at the scene, detectives found Inspector Philemon Ayuba, service number AP/No. 335430, being beaten by an irate crowd who accused him of killing the boy, identified as Hosanna Yunana, who had been living with him in the Nyabunkaka area of Jalingo.
The officers rescued the inspector and took him into custody.
The police wireless signal revealed that during interrogation, Inspector Ayuba confessed that on the evening of December 3, he confronted the child for allegedly stealing ₦60,000 from him.
The message stated that the boy reportedly fled toward a riverside, where the officer pursued and caught him. Ayuba allegedly beat the child until he collapsed and died.
Instead of reporting the incident, he secretly buried the boy in a shallow grave.
Ayuba later led detectives to the burial site and personally assisted in exhuming the decomposing remains.
The body was recovered and taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, for autopsy.
The suspect remains in custody, while the case is expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further action.
A short video obtained by SaharaReporters shows Ayuba lying on the ground surrounded by police officers, while angry residents shouted at him moments before his rescue.
Police authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
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