Angwa Rukuba Killings: Court Orders Suspects Remanded in DSS Custody

A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has ordered that four suspects standing trial over the April 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending the conclusion of investigations.

The order was issued on Thursday during the resumed hearing before Justice Danladi Longden.

At the proceedings, the prosecution, led by the State Attorney General, Philemon Audu Daffi, informed the court that a Case Management Conference (CMC) had already been filed alongside the charge. He urged the court to fix a date for the conference and also applied for the continued remand of the defendants in DSS custody to allow investigators conclude their work.

Daffi told the court that more time was required, especially as one of the principal suspects linked to the case remains at large.

Counsel to the defendants, Mustapha Shabbat Ibrahim (SAN), did not oppose the request for a CMC date but strongly objected to the continued detention of his clients by the DSS. He raised concerns over access to the defendants while in custody.

Responding, the Attorney General dismissed the claim, stating that in his 37 years of legal practice, he had not encountered a situation where the DSS denied lawyers access to their clients.

Justice Longden subsequently adjourned the matter to May 8, 2026, for the Case Management Conference and ordered that the four defendants remain in DSS custody.

The Plateau State Government had arraigned the suspects last week following their arrest in connection with the Angwa Rukuba attacks.

Those charged include Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar (also known as Auwalu Dogo), and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (alias Yaroro), who are facing charges bordering on criminal conspiracy and terrorism-related offences. Another defendant, Adamu Isa Alhassan, is facing additional counts including culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and unlawful dealing in arms and ammunition.

According to the prosecution, the offences are punishable under Sections 269 and 270 of the Plateau State Penal Code Law, 2017. The आरोप include allegations that the defendants conspired, funded, and facilitated the attacks that led to the death of over 30 persons in Angwa Rukuba.

Alhassan is also accused of participating in separate attacks across communities in Riyom and Jos South Local Government Areas between 2025 and early 2026.

The suspects were arrested between April 3 and April 10, 2026, while several others linked to the incidents are still at large.

The attacks, which occurred on March 28, 2025, left at least 30 people, including women and children, dead across parts of Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas, sparking widespread outrage.

In response to the violence, Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited Jos earlier in April, where he met with victims and assured them of justice. He also announced a N2 billion relief fund for those affected by the attacks during a meeting with Plateau State leaders in Abuja.

Despite calls to suspend public events in the aftermath of the killings, Caleb Mutfwang insisted that the state would not succumb to fear, maintaining that life must continue while efforts to end the violence intensify.