There is an uneasy calm in Hwolshe community, a suburb of Jos South LGA of Plateau State, as the entire community has been thrown into mourning, following the alleged killing of a 20-year old undergraduate of the University of Jos, Rinji Peter Bala popularly known as “Bobo” by soldiers of Operation Safe Haven, Sector 1 Zaria Road Jos, Plateau State.
Rinji Peter and his 6 friends were said to be walking in their community during the Covid-19 lockdown around 6:30-7:00 pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, when they were arrested by the vigilante and neighbourhood watch in the area who handed them over to the soldiers stationed around Akila Machunga Street, having mistaken them for suspected criminals.
AIT gathered, that the 7 youths were later transferred to Sector 1 of the Operation Safe Haven located along Zaria Road, where they were released when nothing incriminating was found on them only to be allegedly shot at while leaving the premises of the Sector Command. They were said to have been beaten severely which led to the death of one of them according to one of the survivors and eye witness Emmanuel Dung.
“They didn’t tell us our offense, but tortured us for over an hour before releasing us.
“At the gate, some soldiers asked us to run and when we took off, they opened fire. Bobo (Rinji Peter) fell few metres from the gate (of the Sector Command entrance) .
“I stopped to help him up but a soldier came close, with his gun pointed at me but turned back when another soldier shouted “ceasefire”.
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Peter’s father, Mr. Bala who is a secret service agent was at the Sector Command shortly after the incident and said “I saw a corpse at the entrance of the military base but didn’t know it was my son; and they never told me until I met a fellow detainee while driving home,” Mr. Bala told relations.
Efforts to get authorities of the Operation Safe Heaven to comment on the incident was unsuccessful as several calls were put through to the STF spokesperson without any response.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Command, Gabriel Ubah confirmed the incident and said the case has been reported to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Command while investigations are ongoing.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
