Plateau Court Sentences Police Officer for Killing UNIJOS Student

A Plateau State High Court in Jos has sentenced Sgt. Ruya Auta to death for the killing of Rinji Bala, a 300-level University of Jos student who was shot during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.

Justice David Mann, the Chief Judge of Plateau State, delivered the verdict at High Court 1. The court found the officer guilty of criminal homicide after reviewing the events of May 12, 2020. Rinji and two friends had been detained by security personnel in the Hwolshe area of Jos when the shooting occurred.

During the trial, prosecution counsel Dr. Garba Pwul (SAN) explained that although Auta claimed the shooting was accidental, evidence showed Rinji was shot in the back. According to Pwul, this detail undercut the officer’s defense and supported the court’s conclusion.

Rinji’s father, Peter Bala, reacted with a kind of quiet restraint that feels understandable in moments like this. He said no one celebrates another person’s death, but he believes the judgment will discourage reckless use of firearms by security operatives.