PL Update: Soldier Allegedly Kills 20-Year-Old In Plateau Community

Mission street Hwolshe, a community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State was thrown into mourning late Tuesday night following the shooting of a 20-year-old man, Rinji Peter Bala allegedly by security operatives.

DAILY POST gathered from the community that an agent of the Nigeria Army under the military taskforce code-named Operation Safe Haven opened fire on the deceased.

It was also gathered that Bala, a 300Level student of the University of Jos, was arrested at about 7pm, in his neighbourhood, Hwolshe, during lockdown.

According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, “I and six others were taken to Sector 1 headquarters of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) near Jos Zaria Road new stadium, in a military patrol van.

“We were never told our offence, but they tortured us for over an hour before releasing us.

“On our way out, at the gate of the headquarters, some soldiers asked us to run. When we took off, they opened fire. Bala fell a few meters from the gate.

“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”, he explained.

DAILY POST recalls that Plateau State has been in and out of lockdown for close to two months now, which has brought so much hardship on many of its residents with the government giving the period of restocking from Midnight of every Thursday to Midnight of every Sunday.

However, when contacted, Spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, ASP Ubah Ogaba, said, “We heard about the incident, through the DPO in charge of that area, that some youths were apprehended by the members of the OPSH, and that a young man who was said to be among those apprehended died.

Ogaba added that:-

“We don’t have the details of what transpired, so this all I can say for now.

“But an investigation into the incident has commenced already”, he maintained.

Meantime, as at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the deceased family members were deeply grieving and unable to talk to the press.