A Plateau State High Court has ordered the remand of four suspects in the custody of the Department of State Services over the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area.
The suspects were brought before the court on Thursday, but their arraignment was stalled due to the absence of defence counsel. The presiding judge, Gidelia FomYom, subsequently adjourned the case until April 30, 2026.
The violence, which occurred on March 28, left more than 30 people dead, including children, after gunmen attacked communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang had earlier condemned the attacks, describing them as an attempt to destabilise the state.
“What is happening is not a farmer-herder conflict. It is genocide, and I urge the international community to take note. Plateau must move forward,” Mutfwang said.
President Bola Tinubu, who visited the state following the incident, also assured victims that justice would be served.
“We are optimistic that ongoing interventions will help restore lasting peace,” the President said.
The suspects, including Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also known as Yaroro, were arrested between April 3 and April 10 and charged with criminal conspiracy and terrorism-related offences.
According to the charge filed by the State Attorney General, Philemon Daffi, the defendants allegedly conspired to plan and execute the attack that led to multiple deaths.
During proceedings, the suspects, through an interpreter, requested time to secure legal representation. The Solicitor General of the state, Joel Tagven, did not oppose the request but urged the court to remand them 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. I also appeal that the suspects be remanded in DSS custody for easy access and continuation of investigation,” Tagven said.
The court granted the application, and the suspects were returned to DSS custody immediately after the sitting.
Tagven later commended the federal government for enabling the prosecution to take place within the state.
“In the past, such cases were moved to Abuja, but now we are able to prosecute here. We appreciate the President for giving the marching order that led to the arrest and for supporting efforts to strengthen security,” he said.
He added that planned deployment of surveillance infrastructure, including CCTV systems, would further enhance security and aid ongoing investigations.