Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Plateau State Government has taken a decisive step towards securing justice for the victims of the brutal Angwa-Rukuba massacre, formally filing terrorism-related charges against five individuals arrested by the Department of State Services. The charges, filed before a Jos High Court on April 18, 2026, stem from the deadly attack on a popular drinking joint in the Angwa-Rukuba community of Jos North Local Government Area on March 29, which left no fewer than 28 people dead and several others injured. The legal action comes just weeks after President Bola Tinubu visited the state, where he consoled grieving families and promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. The suspects, apprehended between April 3 and April 10 in a coordinated intelligence-led operation by the DSS, include Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also known as Yaroro, and Adamu Isa Alhassan. A fifth accomplice, Ado Ibrahim, remains at large. According to the State Attorney General, Philemon Audu Daffi, who personally filed the charges, the actions of the suspects were contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017. The development has been hailed as a major breakthrough in the long-running crisis of serial attacks that have plagued parts of the state for years, transforming communities into ghost towns and leaving hundreds of families in perpetual mourning.
The suspects face a litany of serious allegations. In the 16-count charge sheet, four of the defendants, Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, and the fugitive Ado Ibrahim, are accused of criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and related offences. The prosecution alleges that on March 28, 2025, the suspects conspired at Farin Gada, in the Jos North Local Government Area, where they planned, organized, facilitated, and contributed money to execute a terrorist attack. The charge states that their actions were part of a coordinated effort to destabilize the state, leading directly to the assault on Angwa-Rukuba, which resulted in the death of over thirty people. The charge sheet also details a specific count of terrorism against the same four defendants, accusing them of directly committing an act of terrorism by carrying out the deadly raid.
The case against the fifth defendant, Adamu Isa Alhassan, is even more extensive. He is facing charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide punishable with death, illegal possession of firearms, and unlawful dealing in arms and ammunition. The prosecution has linked Alhassan to a broader pattern of violence, alleging that he, along with several accomplices who are still at large, orchestrated a series of deadly attacks across multiple local government areas. The charge sheet specifies that between January and December 2025, and again in January 2026, Alhassan and his alleged gang armed themselves with guns and attacked residents of Gwang, Rin Ward, Bachit, Bangai Villages in Riyom Local Government Area, and Vom in Jos South Local Government Area. These coordinated assaults resulted in the deaths of numerous residents, painting a picture of a well-organized, multi-year criminal enterprise responsible for a wave of terror across Plateau’s southern senatorial district. The state government has vowed to ensure that the suspects, who remain in DSS custody, face the full weight of the law, with Attorney General Daffi indicating that the prosecution is prepared to present overwhelming evidence linking them to the atrocities.
The filing of these charges represents a significant moment for Plateau State, which has endured a brutal cycle of violence for years. The March 29 attack on Angwa-Rukuba, which targeted civilians at a local bar, sparked widespread outrage on social media, with a viral video showing a distraught mother clutching the lifeless body of her teenage son, pleading for him to wake up. In response to the public anger, Governor Caleb Mutfwang “strongly condemned” the attack, describing it as “barbaric and unprovoked.” The governor visited the community on March 30, declaring that the state government would not allow a mass burial and assuring families that each victim would be given a dignified burial. However, the process of mourning was itself disrupted when a funeral for seven of the victims was halted by angry youths who accused security agencies of arresting three young men who had tried to defend their neighborhood during the attack. The protest highlighted the deep-seated frustration and distrust that has festered in communities where violence has become a recurring nightmare.
The federal government has also thrown its weight behind the pursuit of justice. During his visit to Jos shortly after the attack, President Tinubu consoled the families of the victims, acknowledging that no amount of money could compensate for their loss. He declared that the “best solution is for justice to be done” and gave security agencies a direct order: “You must unearth and find the killers.” He also announced plans to strengthen security surveillance in the area, including the immediate installation of a network of cameras to help law enforcement identify perpetrators. The president’s intervention and the subsequent arrest of the suspects by the DSS have raised hopes that this prosecution will mark a turning point in the state’s troubled history. Governor Mutfwang has previously described the attacks as a genocide, and the state has insisted it will not be deterred as efforts continue to restore lasting peace.
For the people of Angwa-Rukuba and the countless other affected communities, the court case represents a long-awaited opportunity to see justice done. The suspects, who were detained following the intelligence-led operations, have not yet entered a plea, as the case is set to proceed to trial. With the suspects in custody and a fifth accomplice on the run, the Plateau State Government has signaled that the era of impunity for those who sow terror in the state may be coming to an end.
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