The prosecution in the case of four persons standing trial for the April 2026 attacks in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State on Thursday told a State High Court that allowing the suspects leave the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) was a huge risk.
At the resumed trial, the prosecution, led by Plateau State Attorney General, Philemon Audu Daffi, informed the court that it filed a Case Management Conference (CMC) alongside the charge, urging the presiding judge, Justice Danladi Longden to grant the prosecution a date for the CMC, even as he applied for further remand of the defendants in the DSS facility.
The Attorney General also told the court that the secret police needed sufficient time to conclude its investigation, particularly as one of the principal suspects was still at large. Allowing the other suspects leave the custody of the DSS could jeopardize investigations, he stressed.
In his argument, the lead defence counsel, Mustapha Shabbat Ibrahim, SAN, stated that while he wasn’t opposed to picking a date for the CMC, he stated that his opposition was to the continued detention of his clients in DSS custody, emphasizing that accessing his clients could be a challenge.
At this point, the State Attorney General countered, telling the court that in his 37 years of practice, he had yet to encounter an occasion where the DSS blocked lawyers from accessing clients in their detention facility.
The court adjourned to May 8, 2026 for the CMC but Justice Longden however ordered that the four defendants be remanded in the custody of the secret police.
The Plateau State government had a week ago arraigned the the quartet of Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar aka Auwalu Dogo, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim aka Yaroro who were suspects arrested in the wake of the Angwa Rukuba killings. They were charged with criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and other related offences.
On his part, Adamu Isa Alhassan, who was the only defendant arraigned in Court 9, is charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegally dealing in arms and ammunition.
The four suspects were arrested between April 3 and April 10, 2026.
The State Attorney General said the actions of the four men were “contrary to Section 269 and Punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017.”
The particulars of offence read: “That you, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim of Riyom Local Government Area, Auwalu Abubakar (A.K.A Auwalu Dogo) of Jos North Local Government Area, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (A.K.A Yaroro) of Jos North Local Government Areas of Plateau State; and one Ado Ibrahim (Now at Large) of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, on the 28th day of March, 2025 at Farin Gada, Jos North Local Government Area, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit offences relating to terrorism when you planned, organized, facilitated, aided, and contributed money to carry out the attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court; you thereby committed the above offence.
“That you, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim of Riyom Local Government Area, Auwalu Abubakar (A.K.A Auwalu Dogo) of Jos North Local Government Area, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (A.K.A Yaroro) of Jos North Local Government Areas of Plateau State; and one Ado Ibrahim (Now at Large) of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, on the 28th day of March, 2025 at Farin Gada, Jos North Local Government Area, did commit the offence of terrorism when you planned, organized, facilitated, aided, contributed and received money to carry out an attack in Angwan Rukuba, which led to the death of over thirty (30) people in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.”
Part of the particulars of Alhassan’s offence read: “That you Adamu Isah Alhassan together with one Ibrahim Musa (Now at Large), Imarana Sa’idu (Now at Large), Yusuf Sa’idu (Now at Large) Aliyu Usaini (Now at Large), Yahuza Adamu (Now at Large), Mubarak Yunusa (Now at Large), Yakubu, whose surname is unknown (Now at Large) and others also at large between the months of January to December, 2025 and in January, 2026 at Gwang, Rin Ward, Bachit and Bangai Villages of Riyom Local Government Area and Vom in Jos South Local Government Areas of Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an illegal act to wit: Culpable Homicide Punishable with Death, when you armed yourselves with guns, attacked and killed the residents of Gwang, Rin Ward, Bachit and Bangai Villages of Riyom Local Government Area and Vom in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, and you thereby committed the above offence.”
On Friday March 28, 2025, no fewer than 30 persons including children were killed after suspected herders attacked some communities in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas and their environs, of the State.