The arraignment of four suspects charged over the recent gunmen attack in Angwa Rukuba was stalled on Thursday following the absence of defence counsel at the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos.

The suspects appeared before Court 12 but requested an adjournment to enable them secure legal representation, preventing the court from proceeding with their arraignment.

The Plateau State Government filed charges against the defendants in connection with the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba. The suspects — Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, and a fourth unnamed defendant — were arrested by the Department of State Services between April 3 and April 10, 2026.

They are facing charges including criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and related offences under Sections 269 and 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017, according to the State Attorney General, Philemon Daffi.

Authorities alleged that the defendants conspired to plan, organise, facilitate, and fund the attack in Angwa Rukuba, which resulted in the deaths of more than 30 people, including children. The violence formed part of a wider wave of attacks that struck communities in Bokkos and Bassa on March 28.

Following the incident, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the killings, describing them as attempts to destabilise the state and characterising the violence as genocide rather than a farmer-herder conflict.

Earlier this month, President Bola Tinubu visited the state, met with victims of the attacks, and assured residents that the Federal Government would ensure justice while continuing efforts to restore lasting peace in the affected communities.