KOTA KINABALU: A college student was killed when he took the blow of a samurai sword to save a friend after they intervened in a spat between a man and his ex-wife.

Yacoob Nasran (pic), 18, had spent the night out with friends and his elder brother when they spotted a couple fighting just after they stepped out of a pub at around 4.15am yesterday, in Asia City here.

They supposedly tried to pacify the couple but the man, a car repossessor, did not like the interference. This led to a fist fight with the teenagers.

Kota Kinabalu police chief Asst Comm M. Chandra said the man allegedly whipped out a sword and swung it randomly at the teenagers.

“We believe Yacoob went to block the blow that could have hit one of his female friends,” ACP Chandra said.

Yacoob, he said, was hit on the neck and forehead besides receiving other facial injuries.

His 19-year-old brother Nabil and another friend sustained light injuries.

ACP Chandra said Yacoob was studying in a college in Kuala Lumpur while his brother studied in Singapore.

Both teenagers were back here for the holidays.

ACP Chandra said police arrested two main suspects, aged 26 and 24, from a house in Bukit Padang at about 9am yesterday. Two samurai swords were recovered.

He said a 23-year-old waitress at the pub, who is the former wife of the key suspect, two pub bouncers aged 28 and 30, and a 23-year-old woman, who is the pub manager, were also being detained to help in the investigation.

The suspect and his ex-wife supposedly had a fight inside the pub before they took their quarrel outside.

ACP Chandra said he had written to the Kota Kinabalu city mayor, requesting him to shut down the pub, which was operating beyond the 1am deadline permitted under its licence.