The Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has resumed hearing in the trial of suspects linked to the Anguwan Rukuba killings, with one of the defendants, Adamu Alhassan, pleading not guilty to a six-count charge.
At the resumed proceedings before Justice Jacob Longden, the charges were read to the defendant with translation into Hausa to aid his understanding.
The Plateau State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Philemon Daffi, informed the court that the charge, dated April 17, 2026, was supported by a list of exhibits and witness statements, and urged the court to formally take the defendant’s plea.
The court heard that Alhassan, alongside others still at large, allegedly participated in attacks on communities in Bachit, Riyom Local Government Area, and Vom in Jos South Local Government Area between 2025 and January 2026, resulting in multiple deaths.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all six counts, which include criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, and unlawful dealing in arms and ammunition.
Counsel to the defendant, Mustapha Ibrahim, SAN, requested time to confer with his client and file necessary responses, and opposed the prosecution’s application for his continued detention by the Department of State Services, DSS.
He argued that remanding the defendant in a correctional facility would better guarantee his constitutional rights and access to legal representation.
The prosecution, however, maintained that ongoing investigations and the involvement of other suspects still at large justified his continued detention by the DSS.
In his ruling, Justice Longden adjourned the case to May 8, 2026, for a case management conference and ordered that the defendant remain in DSS custody pending the commencement of trial.