A Plateau State High Court in Jos has scheduled August 11, 2026, to rule on a motion questioning the court’s authority to preside over the trial of four individuals accused of participating in the Angwan Rukuba violence. On the same date, the court will decide on a request to move one of the suspects from Department of State Services custody to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for urgent medical care.
During Wednesday’s session, defense lawyer M. I. Shaba, SAN, requested that the court dismiss the case, asserting that the allegations involve terrorism. Citing the 2022 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, Shaba argued that only the Federal High Court holds the power to adjudicate such matters. Sabo Longji, representing the Plateau State Ministry of Justice, countered this by clarifying that the charges are based on the state’s Penal Code rather than federal terrorism laws, thereby validating the jurisdiction of the state court.
Justice Gedaliah Fwomyon has reserved judgment on both issues until the August 11 deadline. The defendants involved—Adamu Isa Alhassan, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim—face prosecution for their alleged roles in the Palm Sunday attack in Jos North, which resulted in approximately 30 fatalities.
