Plateau killings: Absence of defence counsel stalls arraignment of four suspects

The absence of defence counsel on Thursday stalled the arraignment of four suspects charged in connection with the recent gunmen attack in the Angwa Rukuba Community, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The suspects appeared before Court 12 of the Plateau State High Court in Jos, but could not be arraigned after they sought an adjournment to enable them to contact their counsel.

The killings, which occurred on March 28, left no fewer than 30 people, including children, dead after suspected attackers invaded communities in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas.

The Plateau State Government filed charges against the suspects over the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba.

The government said they were arrested by the DSS between April 3 and April 10, 2026, and have been charged with offences including criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and related offences.

The four suspects are Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also known as Yaroro, and a fourth defendant.

According to the charge filed by the State Attorney General, Philemon Daffi, the defendants acted “contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017.”

The charge stated, “That you… did conspire amongst 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.”

Following the killings, Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to destabilise the state.

“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,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu, who visited the state earlier this month, met with victims and assured 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.