KILLING OF RINJI PETER BALA BY SUSPECTED SECURITY PERSONNEL: GOV. LALONG ORDERS PROBE.{PHOTOS}.#PRESS RELEASE.

    Governor Simon Lalong expresses shock and sadness over the death of Mr. Rinji Peter Bala, who was said to have been shot by security personnel along Zaria Road, Jos on 12th May 2020. Consequently, he has directed that thorough investigation be carried out to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing of the young man. He assures that those found culpable will face the law of the land.

Already, a security personel alleged to have been involved in the incident has been taken into custody for further investigation.
The Governor appeals for calm and commiserates with the family of the late Rinji Bala.
Meanwhile, Governor Lalong has appealed to citizens to continue to observe the lockdown directives put in place towards curbing COVID-19.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham, ANIPR.
Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State.
13th May 2020.

EARLIER REPORT :

Rinji Peter Bala better known as Bobo, a 20-year-old student of History and International Relations at the University of Jos, has died after he was shot by a Nigerian Army personnel.

Bala was killed shortly after he was apprehended first by vigilantes enforcing the lockdown order put in place to stop the spread of Coronavirus and then by men of the Nigerian Army, Sector 1 in Jos on Tuesday evening.

Matthew Tegha, a popular journalist in Plateau State in a series of tweets, said Bala was arrested alongside seven others. 

After their innocence was established, the soldiers told the young men to "run" and immediately opened fire on the young student, who bled to death because he was unattended to.

Tegha’s tweets reads, "At the family house, we learnt that the youth numbered seven were apprehended by vigilantes for breaking the lockdown order around 7:00pm at Hwolshe area overhead bridge and were handed to the soldiers around 18th street Lounge and later transferred to the Army Sector 1 at the new Zaria Road, stadium.

"Describing the incident, one of the seven boys (names withheld) said that after thorough investigation and torture, they were found innocent and told to run away. He said as they ran out of the Army Sector 1 as instructed, they were shot at, the deceased was shot dead and they all had to keep running after which they noticed the absence of Rinji. 

“The father who later got reports of the arrests, went on to the army sector only to be told that the boys had already been released as they were not criminals.

“But on getting home, he was told by the other boys that his son fell after he was shot at, the father then had to go back. The father later saw the boy lying lifeless on the road close to the army sector on Zaria Road."

The remaining six boys SaharaReporters gathered on Wednesday, have been taken into the state police A-division for interrogation and commencement of investigation.

The Nigerian Army is yet to issue a statement concerning the incident, which has caused outrage at the time of filing this report.

More photos below.