Timnan went on to bury the deceased, a fellow UNIJOS student, in a shallow grave.
By Kehinde Okeowo
A 200-level student of Agriculture at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), identified as Nanpon Timnan, has been arrested by the police after allegedly killing his fellow student and best friend, Peter Mafuyai, and burying him in a shallow grave.
The gruesome incident, which occurred on Saturday, October 25, at the suspect’s off-campus residence in the Laranto area of Jos, was confirmed by the President of the institution’s Student Union Government (SUG), Jane Pwajok.
According to her, the case is being handled by the Plateau State Police Command, and the union is working on unraveling the full details of what actually transpired.
However, an eyewitness said Timnan and his late friend, who was a 300-level student of the Department of Banking and Finance of the same institution, were close and often spent time together due to their passion for music.
The witness added that they had just returned from a studio session when Timnan murdered the deceased.
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Also narrating what transpired, a fellow student who pleaded for anonymity said the two friends had earlier gone out to play football, returned home, and later proceeded to a music studio for a recording session before returning to their residence.
“Upon returning from the studio, he (Nanpon) went to get a machete. The other occupants of the compound, who were also friends with them, asked what he wanted to do with it, and he said he needed it for something,” he said.
The student continued, “He then struck his friend with the machete. The other occupants of the compound began shouting and asking what the victim had done to deserve that, but he did not respond. They ran out to call for help, and by the time they returned, he had buried the body behind the house in a shallow grave.
“The police have since invited all the friends for questioning and are currently investigating the matter.”
Though the motive for the murder is yet to be established, a police source who also confirmed the arrest of the suspect said preliminary investigation has revealed that the two friends may have had a falling out due to the music project they were working on together.
When contacted, the university’s Acting Head of Information, Tongdyen Dachung, declined to comment on the matter but promised to confirm the details before responding officially.
The Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Alfred Alabo, has also not made any statement on the murder case.
