A High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has fixed July 1 and 2, 2026, for a definite hearing in the terrorism case linked to the Angwan Rukuba killings involving four defendants accused of terrorism and acts of terrorism.
The matter came up on Thursday before Justice Gidelia Fomyon of Court 9 for a Case Management Conference conducted in line with the provisions of Order 4 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2024 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
At the commencement of proceedings, the Attorney General of Plateau State, Philemon Daffi, led the prosecution team on behalf of the state government.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mustapha Shaba Ibrahim, represented the first and second defendants alongside his legal team, while M.M. Salihu appeared for the third defendant and M.B. Abdullahi represented the fourth defendant.
The defendants standing trial are Isa Umar Ibrahim, Adamu Isa Alhassan, Auwalu Abubakar and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim.
Addressing the court, Daffi informed Justice Fomyon that the matter was scheduled for a Case Management Conference and that the prosecution was fully prepared to proceed.
The Attorney General adopted the prosecution’s case management form filed on May 17, 2026, and urged the court to issue its report.
Counsel to the defendants also confirmed readiness for the conference and adopted their respective responses already filed before the court.
The counsel for the first and second defendants told the court that their response was filed on May 6, while the third defendant filed on May 7 and the fourth defendant also filed on May 6, 2026.
Papers News reports that during proceedings, the court observed that some of the defendants had pending applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.
Defence counsel argued that the notices of preliminary objection should be heard and determined alongside the substantive case at the end of the trial.
However, the prosecution opposed the request, insisting that the jurisdictional questions must first be resolved to avoid what it described as a “journey in futility.”
Daffi further urged the court to take into consideration the level of public interest generated by the case and ensure an accelerated hearing process by addressing the objections before commencement of full trial proceedings.
In his ruling, Justice Fomyon held that the case management process had been duly concluded in accordance with the law.
The judge noted that although a case management report is ordinarily expected to be issued within 60 days, the peculiar circumstances of the matter and the intense public interest surrounding it made it necessary for parties to suggest convenient dates for hearing.
Justice Fomyon subsequently adjourned the matter to May 26, 2026, for the court’s report on case management.
The court also fixed July 1 and 2, 2026, for a definite hearing and witness appearances in the terrorism trial arising from the Angwan Rukuba killings.
