A Plateau state high court in Jos has sentenced Ruya Auta, a police officer, to death for the killing of Rinji Bala, a 300-level student of the University of Jos (UNIJOS).
Bala was murdered on May 13, 2020.
Delivering judgment on December 8, David Mann, presiding judge, held that Auta violated the student’s fundamental right to life and was guilty of unlawful killing.
The court ordered that the sentence be carried out by hanging or lethal injection.
Speaking after the verdict, Garba Pwul, counsel to the Plateau state government, described the ruling as the outcome of five years of efforts and tenacity to bring justice to the deceased, the family, and the government.
“It has been five years of efforts and tenacity to bring justice to the deceased, the family, and even the government. Today, we have seen justice served,” Pwul said.
He added that the sentence sends a strong message to security operatives who abuse their weapons.
“We hope that this judgment will serve as a deterrent to trigger-happy and dangerously negligent uniformed men, and provide some measure of comfort to the deceased’s family,” he said.
The court had earlier awarded a substantial nine-figure compensation to Bala’s family, ruling that his right to life was violated by the actions of the officer.
Emmanuel Gyang, a friend who witnessed the shooting, said the verdict reopened painful memories.
He said the ruling offered less of a sense of victory and more of a reminder of the trauma, noting that since the day Bala was killed, he had “felt terribly bad”, and the judgment had re-echoed the hurt.
Bala was shot by the police officer attached to the Special Task Force (STF) on peacekeeping duties in Plateau state during an operation.
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