Angwan Rukuba Killings: Court fixes August 11 for ruling on jurisdiction, medical request
By Golok Nanmwa
JOS — A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has fixed August 11, 2026, to deliver rulings on an application challenging its jurisdiction to try four persons accused of involvement in the Angwan Rukuba killings.
The court also reserved ruling for the same date on an application seeking the transfer of one of the defendants from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical treatment.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the first and second defendants, Mr. M. I. Shaba, SAN, urged the court to decline jurisdiction, arguing that the charges against his clients were terrorism-related and should be handled by the Federal High Court.
Shaba relied on provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which he argued places terrorism-related matters under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
However, the prosecution, led by the Director of Civil Litigation in the Plateau State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Sabo Longji, opposed the application through a counter-affidavit.
Longji argued that the defendants were being prosecuted under the Plateau State Penal Code and not under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, making the State High Court competent to hear the matter.
After listening to submissions from both sides, the trial judge, Justice Gedaliah Fwomyon, adjourned the case until August 11 for rulings on the jurisdictional challenge and the medical transfer application.
The Plateau State Government had arraigned Adamu Isa Alhassan, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also known as Yaroro, alongside Ado Ibrahim, who is currently at large, over their alleged involvement in the attack.
The defendants are facing charges linked to the Palm Sunday attack on Angwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area, where about 30 people were killed.
While the state government accused the suspects of terrorism-related offences in connection with the incident, the defence team maintained that the case should be tried by the Federal High Court based on the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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