A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has sentenced a police officer, Sgt. Ruya Auta, to death for the killing of University of Jos student, Rinji Bala, who was shot dead during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The judgment was delivered on Tuesday by the Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice David Mann, at High Court 1. The court found Sgt. Auta guilty of culpable homicide and ordered that he be executed by hanging.
How Rinji Was Killed
Rinji, a 300-level student of the University of Jos, was killed on May 12, 2020, in the Hwolshe area of Jos. He had been arrested along with two friends by security operatives enforcing the lockdown.
Court records showed that the young men were searched, and nothing incriminating was found on them. Despite this, they were beaten and later released.
However, as they were asked to run, Sgt. Auta fired a shot that struck Rinji in the back, killing him on the spot.
Prosecution: Shooting Was Not a Mistake
Speaking after the ruling, the prosecution counsel, Dr. Garba Pwul (SAN), said the officer’s claim that the shooting was accidental was disproved in court.
According to him, the autopsy and ballistic evidence showed that Rinji was shot from behind, confirming that the killing was intentional and not a mistake.
Family Reacts to the Judgment
Rinji’s father, Mr. Peter Bala, said the family does not celebrate anyone’s death but is relieved that justice has finally been served.
“No sane person celebrates the death of another person, but the law has taken its course,” he said.
He added that he hopes the judgment will serve as a strong warning to security officers to avoid the careless and unlawful use of firearms.
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