Outrage grows over killing of 20-year-old UNIJOS student as Army claims he was mistaken for fleeing suspect
Amid rising concerns over violation of human rights and brutal killing of citizens by security operatives deployed to the streets to enforce the COVID-19 lockdown order, another 20-year-old student of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Rinji Bala, has been shot dead by a soldier attached to the Special Task Force (STF) Operation Safe Haven in Jos, Plateau State.
Neusroom gathered that the deceased whose life was cut short by the trigger happy soldier was the last of three children and the only male child in the family. The death of the rising star has thrown his family, friends and neighbours into deep shock and mourning.
Rijin, a 300-level student of history and international studies, and five other friends were arrested by soldiers in Hwolshe community, Jos South Local Government Area, on Tuesday evening. He was shot dead by one of the soldiers who opened fire on them shortly after they were released and leaving the OPSH premises along Zaria road in Jos.
On April 16, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said 18 Nigerians have been victims of extrajudicial killings by security operatives enforcing lockdown order and said the figure outnumbered 12 people who have died of COVID-19 as of April 15.
Neusroom reports that a week after NHRC released the report, a police officer on traffic duty in Rivers State was also shot dead by one of her colleagues enforcing lockdown order in the state.
A source close to the family told Neusroom that Rijin went out with his friends in the evening on Tuesday, while they were out, “soldiers arrested them around 7pm saying they got information they were thieves. They beat the hell out of these boys, took them to their office. Even when a policeman came to identify and people around saying they were not thieves.
“They later released them around past 10-11pm, upon turning from their premises one shot at them killing this innocent boy.”
Neusroom also gathered that Rinji’s father, Peter Bala, is a senior officer in the Department of State Service (DSS).
An eyewitness, Emmanuel Dung, who was one of those arrested by the soldiers, told NAN that Rinji and five others were arrested around 7pm. on Tuesday by the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) team and were taken to the sector one of OPSH, along Zaria Road, Jos.
“The soldiers didn’t say what our offense was and took us to their office at Zaria Road. They tortured us for over an hour and later released us at about 10 p.m.,” he said.
“At the gate, some soldiers asked us to run. When we took off, they opened fire on us and Bobo (Rinji) fell down few meters away from the gate. I stopped to help him but a soldier came close with his gun pointed at me but turned back, and one of the soldier shouted “ceasefire.”
The murder of Rinji has been a subject of growing outrage on the internet in the past three days as hundreds of social media users tweeting with the hashtag #JusticeForRinji, have flooded Twitter to vent their anger over the killing of the student and demand prosecution of the perpetrators of the evil act.
In his reaction, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, said NHRC coordinators in Jos have wade into the case and “leadership of Operation Safe Haven in Plateau State confirmed to us that the soldiers involved in Rinji’s death have been arrested pending investigation.
“It is imperative that we all follow through and not relent. It is our watchful eyes and constant efforts that will ensure #JusticeForRinji.”
The Plateau Bloggers and Online Media Association, in a statement condemning the killing said “it is entirely unacceptable that those who are placed to help are causing more harm. The killing of Rinji Peter Bala is totally condemnable and should be investigated to logical conclusion and anyone found culpable must be brought to justice.”
The outrage trailing Rinji’s death was worsened by the reaction of media officer of OPSH, Ibrahim Shittu, who claimed the soldier, a sentry of the OPSH, who shot the deceased mistook him for a fleeing suspect.
Shittu told NAN on Wednesday that personnel of the task force responded to a distress call on activities of cultists and armed robbers around the area, leading to the arrest of seven suspects including Rinji and they were taken to the OPSH office along Zaria Road, Jos.
“Yesterday, at about 10 p.m., we received information of the activities of suspected armed robbers and cultists operating around No. 18th Street axis, opposite Hwolshe community,” he said.
“The report revealed that the criminals took advantage of the lockdown and curfew to perpetrate crimes. Consequently, our Sector 1 patrol troops of OPSH swiftly responded and arrested 7 suspects, which were immediately moved to the Headquarters of the Sector 1 for preliminary investigation.
“Thereafter, five out of the seven suspects were cleared and asked to leave the premises. Unfortunately as they were leaving, one of the personnel on sentry duty mistook them for escaping suspects. Thus opened fire on them, which led to the death of Rinji Bala.”
Shittu added that the personnel involved has been arrested and detained while a delegation from OPSH has visited the family of the deceased to commiserate with them with a promise that the deceased will get justice.
Reacting to the Army’s statement, @Stephyyat wrote on Twitter: “Apologizes for ending a human life?? Oh please, @HQNigerianArmy the earlier you sensitize your men on the importance of a human life the better, until then, this is Murder and Justice must be served, enough is enough!”
“Highly unprofessional, this error is too grave to be overlooked. It’s quite unfortunate how life has become so cheap in this country. Full restitution should be paid to his family,” @faisstk wrote in reaction to the statement.
@Reals1111 tweeted: “Arrant Nonsense!! Hear this excuse… 5 cleared suspect were mistook as escaping… were they stopped, we’re they running after stopping them? This nonsense has to stop. Justice must prevail for the poor boy.”
“Barbaric…What again is the correlation of Covid and Curfew…Vigilante and Soldier. Releasing innocent people and firing? What’s the fun in all these? Same people that fired at them, Are capable of Burning down a whole village if anyone messes with their kids… There is God,” another Twitter user wrote.
Adesewa Omowunmi wrote: “Will apologies bring back the dead boy? No! Let justice be served… issues like this keep repeating because those perpetrators have not seen anyone brought to justice. Let justice be servers…. don’t know who the next victim may be.”
Janice Bangiji “they have been ‘arrested pending investigation ‘ when they offered Rinji no chance! The entire force should be ashamed of themselves! There is no excuse for this! This is murder and we must get.”
Neusroom also gathered that the planned procession scheduled to hold in Jos on Saturday for the deceased has been cancelled because the state government and security chiefs in the state have assured the family that they will get justice.
It is believed that the status of the deceased’s father as a senior security operative may likely speed up the investigation and get justice for the family.
Despite ample evidences, several cases of extrajudicial killings by security operatives in the past have continued to drag at the court for years without justice. After their reported dismissal from service, little or nothing is heard about the perpetrators. In the case of Kolade Johnson who was shot dead in March 2019 by a police officer at Cement area, along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, Lagos, the officer, Inspector Ogunyemi Olalekan has been dismissed but the case is still pending at the court. While Kolade’s killer is still standing trial, same cannot be said about 20 years old Ada Ifeanyi who was shot dead by police in Ajegunle, Lagos in April 2019. The police announced that it had dismissied the officer, Inspector Dania Ojo, but said his whereabouts remain unknown. Five weeks after the incident, the police said it was still searching for Ojo.
