A Plateau State High Court has sentenced Police Sergeant Ruya Auta to death for the killing of 20-year-old University of Jos student, Rinji “Bobo” Bala.
The judgment, delivered on Tuesday by the Plateau State Chief Judge, Justice David Mann, comes five years after the incident, a rare case in Nigeria where a police officer is held fully accountable for an extrajudicial killing.
The case began on May 12, 2020, when Auta, part of a joint security patrol enforcing COVID-19 lockdown in Jos, stopped Rinji and two friends near Hwolshe.
According to court records, the officers searched the young men, found nothing, but accused them of violating lockdown rules. After intimidating and briefly detaining them, the officers ordered the boys to run. Auta then fired his rifle, hitting Rinji from behind and killing him instantly.
Witnesses and forensic experts testified that Rinji was unarmed, fleeing, and posed no threat. Prosecution evidence showed the shot was intentional, contradicting Auta’s claim of accidental discharge.
The killing sparked widespread outrage and demands for justice. Although the police quickly announced Auta’s arrest, the case later suffered long delays due to missing files, absent witnesses, and COVID-19 disruptions. It regained momentum in 2023 after directives to fast-track stalled criminal cases, allowing key witnesses and experts to testify.
By late 2024, prosecutors had firmly established that Auta abused his authority and used unlawful force.
Delivering judgment on December 9, Justice Mann ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, sentencing Auta to death by hanging or lethal injection.Rinji’s father, Peter Bala, said the family finds some relief in the verdict.
“We are not celebrating anyone’s death, but truth has finally prevailed,” he said, hoping the judgment deters future acts of police negligence.
Prosecuting counsel, Garba Pwul (SAN), described the ruling as expected, noting that evidence clearly showed the shooting was deliberate.
