The Chief Justice of Plateau, Justice David Mann, has sentenced to death Sergeant Ruya Auta for the killing of a student of University of Jos, Rinji Bala.
Mann, in a ruling delivered at the Plateau State High Court 1 in Jos, on Tuesday, pronounced a death sentence by hanging or lethal injection on Auta after he was found guilty of culpable homicide.
Rinji Bala, a promising young man who was a 300 level student of the institution, was shot dead on May 12, 2020, by Auta, after he was taken into custody along with two of his friends near the Hwolshe area of Jos, when they were strolling during the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to reports, Bala and his friends were apprehended, searched, and taken into custody despite no incriminating evidence being found on any of them.
After being beaten and released, they were told to run, at which point Rinji was shot, leading to his immediate death.
After years of trial, the court found the accused officer guilty.
The court held that its decision followed a detailed review of the prosecution’s evidence, witnesses’ testimonies, and the court’s evaluation of the circumstances surrounding the case.
The court emphasised that the sentence was intended to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability, especially in cases involving the unlawful use of force and firearms.
Reacting to the judgment, Peter Bala, father of the late Rinji, said that no sane person would celebrate the death of another human. He, however, said the law had to take its course.
“The truth is the law is the law; that is all I can say” he said
The grieving father also expressed hope that the ruling would serve as a deterrent to negligent security personnel.
