Court Delays Ruling on Trial of Angwan Rukuba Killings Suspects

(Jos High Court. Photo by Vanguard News)

On August 11, 2026, a Plateau State High Court in Jos has scheduled a ruling on an application contesting its authority to try four individuals suspected of being involved in the killings of Angwan Rukuba.

On a motion to move one of the defendants from the Department of State Services’ (DSS) custody to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical care, the court likewise postponed making a decision till the same day.

Mr. M. I. Shaba, SAN, the attorney for the first and second defendants, sought the court to deny jurisdiction during the resumed hearing on Wednesday, claiming that the charges against his clients were related to terrorism and ought to be addressed by the Federal High Court.

Shaba cited the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which he claimed gives the Federal High Court sole authority over cases involving terrorism.

But through a counter-affidavit, the prosecution headed by Mr. Sabo Longji, Director of Civil Litigation at the Plateau State Ministry of Justice opposed the application.

Longji said that the State High Court was qualified to hear the case since the defendants were being prosecuted under the Plateau State Penal Code rather than the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The trial judge, Justice Gedaliah Fwomyon, postponed the case until August 11 for decisions on the jurisdictional challenge and the medical transfer application after hearing arguments from both sides.

Along with Ado Ibrahim, who is presently at large, the Plateau State Government had arraigned Adamu Isa Alhassan, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, popularly known as Yaroro, for their alleged involvement in the attack.

The defendants are charged in connection with the attack on Angwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, which resulted in the deaths of roughly thirty people.

The defense team argued that the case should be prosecuted by the Federal High Court in accordance with the requirements of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, despite the state government accusing the suspects of terrorism-related offenses in relation to the incident.