A PLATEAU State High Court sitting in Jos on Thursday ordered the remand of four suspects in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba, located in Jos North Local Government Area.
News Point Nigeria reports that the court adjourned the case until April 30, 2026, for arraignment after proceedings were stalled due to the absence of defence counsel.
The suspects were expected to be formally arraigned, but the process could not proceed as they requested time to secure legal representation of their choice.
The killings that led to the charges occurred on March 28, when suspected attackers invaded communities in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas, leaving no fewer than 30 persons, including children, dead.
Following the attacks, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the violence, describing it as a deliberate attempt to destabilise the state.
“But I said no! Life must go on. Plateau must move forward by the grace of God. The genocide on the Plateau will come to an end. What is happening is not a farmer-herder conflict. Let me be clear: it is genocide, and I urge the international community to take note,” the governor said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who visited the state earlier in the month, also met with victims of the attacks and assured them that justice would be served.
“We are optimistic that ongoing interventions will help restore lasting peace,” the President said, while urging residents to remain vigilant.
The four suspects listed for arraignment include Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also known as Yaroro, among others alleged to have conspired to carry out the attacks.
The Plateau State Government filed charges against the suspects in connection with the killings in Angwa Rukuba.
According to the government, the suspects were arrested by the DSS between April 3 and April 10, 2026, and are facing charges including criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and other related offences.
The charge, filed by the State Attorney General, Philemon Daffi, stated that the defendants acted contrary to Sections 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017.
Part of the charge reads: “That you… did conspire among yourselves to commit offences relating to terrorism when you planned, organised, facilitated, aided, and contributed money to carry out the attack in Angwan Rukuba… which led to the death of over thirty (30) people.”
When the case came up at Court 12 of the Plateau State High Court in Jos, the suspects, through an interpreter, requested an adjournment to enable them to engage defence counsel.
The prosecution counsel and Solicitor General of Plateau State, Joel Tagven, did not oppose the request but urged the court to remand the suspects in DSS custody pending the next hearing.
“Ordinarily, the matter is supposed to come up today, but in view of the request of the accused demanding lawyers, we can adjourn the case to enable them to get lawyers of their choice. I also appeal that the suspects be remanded in DSS custody for easy access and continuation of the investigation,” he said.
The presiding judge, Justice Gidelia FomYom, granted the application and adjourned the matter until April 30, 2026, for arraignment.
Following the ruling, the suspects were immediately escorted out of the courtroom and transported in a bus to the DSS facility.
Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, the Solicitor General commended President Tinubu for what he described as creating an enabling environment for the prosecution of the suspects within the state.
“We appreciate Mr President for giving a marching order. In fact, we appreciate him for four reasons. First, for giving the marching order, which led to the DSS making efforts that resulted in the arrest of the suspects.
“Second, in the past, prosecutions were not conducted in the state; suspects were usually taken to Abuja. But today, we have been permitted to prosecute them here,” he said.
He further noted that the President’s pledge to provide security infrastructure, including CCTV cameras, would significantly enhance efforts to secure the state.
“Third, you will recall that when Mr President came, he pledged that security materials like CCTV cameras would be provided to the state for security purposes. That will go a long way in helping secure the state. Fourth is the issue of prosecuting them here. This is not how it used to be.
“This is now happening here, and it is something to appreciate Mr President, the governor, and the DSS for their collaboration and support to enable this prosecution in the state,” he added.