A Plateau State High Court has sentenced a police sergeant, Ruya Auta, to death for the 2020 killing of Rinji “Bobo” Bala, a 20-year-old student at the University of Jos.
The judgment, delivered on Tuesday by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice David Mann, comes five years after the incident and marks one of the few cases in Nigeria where a police officer has been convicted for an extrajudicial killing.
Court records show that the incident occurred on 12 May 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown when Mr Auta, serving on a joint security patrol, stopped Rinji and two friends near Hwolshe in Jos.
Witnesses told the court that the officers searched the young men and found nothing incriminating but accused them of violating lockdown rules. The students were intimidated, briefly detained, and later ordered to run.
As they fled, Mr Auta fired his rifle. The bullet struck Rinji from behind, killing him instantly.
“He was unarmed and running as instructed. There was no threat,” a prosecution source told PREMIUM TIMES, describing the shooting as “unlawful force,” not an accident.
Public Outrage and Delayed Justice
The killing triggered widespread public anger and became one of the early rallying points against police brutality before the #EndSARS protests gained nationwide momentum.
Although the police announced Mr Auta’s arrest shortly after the incident, the case soon stalled. Proceedings between 2020 and 2022 were hampered by missing case files, absent witnesses and prolonged adjournments. COVID-19 restrictions also contributed to the slow progress.
It took nearly three years for the Ministry of Justice to grant a fiat empowering a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Garba Pwul, to take over the prosecution.
“A long stretch of inactivity nearly buried the matter,” a judicial official said.
The trial regained life in 2023 after Justice Mann issued directives for courts to fast-track long-pending criminal cases. Witnesses, including forensic experts, testified that the bullet entered Rinji from behind at close range—evidence that contradicted the defence’s claim of accidental discharge.
Medical reports and eyewitness accounts from Rinji’s friends corroborated that the victim was fleeing when he was shot.
By late 2024, the prosecution had established that the officer used excessive force, abused his authority and caused the unlawful death of the student.
On 9 December, the court found Mr Auta guilty of intentional homicide.
“The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Justice Mann ruled, sentencing the officer to death by hanging or lethal injection.
Family Reacts
Rinji’s father, Peter Bala, said the decision brings a measure of closure to the family.
“We are not celebrating another man’s death,” he said. “But the judgment shows that truth finally prevailed.”
The family maintained a quiet stance throughout the trial, saying their only expectation was for justice to be done.
Mr Pwul (SAN), who prosecuted the case, said the evidence presented left no room for doubt.
“The convict did not deny the shooting,” he said. “He claimed it was accidental, but the evidence proved it was intentional.”
Mr Bala expressed hope that the ruling would deter security operatives from reckless use of force.
“No sane person rejoices over the death of another human being,” he said. “But the law must take its course.”
