- Police officer sentenced to death for killing Uni-Jos student.
- Court finds him guilty of culpable homicide.
- Judge orders death by hanging.
- Family hopes ruling becomes a warning to trigger-happy officers.
A Plateau State High Court in Jos has sentenced a police officer, Sgt. Ruya Auta, to death for the shooting and killing of a University of Jos (Uni-Jos) student, bringing a five-year case back to the spotlight as the court ruled that the officer acted deliberately and unlawfully.
Justice David Mann, Chief Judge of Plateau State, delivered the judgment on Tuesday at High Court 1, ruling that Auta was guilty of culpable homicide for the death of 300-level student Rinji Bala, who was shot during the COVID-19 lockdown on May 12, 2020.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
READ ALSO: AGN President Abubakar Yakubu Arrested After Fatal Lagos Crash
Investigations presented in court revealed that Rinji and two friends were arrested near the Hwolshe area of Jos, searched, and found with no illegal item before being beaten and later asked to run. As they fled, Rinji was shot from behind, a detail that later became one of the strongest pieces of evidence in court.
Prosecuting counsel, Dr. Garba Pwul (SAN), said although the officer insisted the killing was accidental, the wound location and evidence proved otherwise.
READ ALSO: 32-year-old Arrested in Abuja While Trying to Buy Ammunition for Zamfara Bandits
“The evidence clearly showed that Rinji was shot from the back. That cannot be called a mistake,” Pwul stated after the ruling.
Rinji’s father, Peter Bala, expressed mixed emotion, pain yet relief that justice was served.
“No sane person celebrates death, but the law has taken its course,” he said, adding that he hopes the judgment will caution security operatives against reckless use of firearms.
The case has sparked renewed conversation about police accountability, especially in cases involving students and young civilians.
