Plateau govt arraigns security agent for allegedly killing UNIJOS student

The Plateau State government on Friday arraigned a security officer, Ruiya Auta, at the State High Court, Jos, for allegedly killing a university student early this year.

Auta was arraigned for killing Rinji Peter-Bala, a student of University of Jos, during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state capital.

The prosecution counsel, Chief Garba Pwul (SAN), told the court that the defendant, while attached to the Military Special Task Force (STF) in Plateau, killed Peter-Bala with an AK47 rifle on May 20.

He said the student, who was 20-year-old at the time of the incident, was arrested along with five friends close to the National Library for breaching the lockdown order in the state.

Pwul said: “They were taken to a security post at Sector I headquarters of the police/military joint Special Task Force (STF) near Jos-Zaria Road stadium where they were tortured before they were released after an hour.

READ ALSO: Police arrests one of the suspected killers of UNIJOS lecturer, frees daughter

After the torture, some soldiers asked them to run and they opened fire. Peter- Bala was hit and fell a few metres from the gate of the military post, he died.”

The prosecutor said the offence was a culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 189 of Penal Code Law of Plateau State 2017.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defence counsel, Mr. Francis Gbande, did not oppose the prosecution counsel’s application.

Justice David Mann ordered that the defendant should be transferred from police custody to the Jos Correctional Centre.

He adjourned the case till November 24 for hearing.

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