In the long shadow of grief that has lingered over Plateau State since the Angwa-Rukuba killings, the wheels of justice have begun to turn – slowly, deliberately, but with unmistakable weight.
On Friday, the Plateau State Government formally brought charges against five men arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), linking them to the brutal March attacks that left more than 30 people dead in Jos North Local Government Area. The move comes just weeks after President Bola Tinubu stood on Plateau soil, offering words of comfort to victims and a firm pledge that justice would not remain distant.
The accused – Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also called Yaroro, and others – now face grave allegations of criminal conspiracy and terrorism. Prosecutors say the men did more than conspire; they planned, financed, and enabled an assault that tore through Angwa-Rukuba, extinguishing lives and unsettling an already fragile peace.
According to court filings, the accused allegedly met in March 2025 in Farin Gada, where they mapped out the attack – pooling resources, coordinating efforts, and setting into motion the violence that would follow. Another suspect, Ado Ibrahim, remains at large.
For one of the defendants, Adamu Isa Alhassan, the charges run deeper and darker. He stands accused not only of conspiracy, but of culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and trafficking in arms. Prosecutors allege that over the course of a year, stretching from early 2025 into 2026, Alhassan and several accomplices – still on the run – carried out coordinated attacks across communities in Riyom and Jos South, leaving a trail of death in villages such as Gwang, Bachit, and Bangai.
The charges, filed by the State Attorney General, Philemon Audu Daffi, invoke the full weight of Plateau’s Penal Code, underscoring the seriousness with which the government now approaches a crisis many fear has lingered too long without accountability.
The Angwa-Rukuba killings were not an isolated tragedy. They formed part of a wave of violence that swept through Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas in March 2025 – an eruption that claimed dozens of lives, including children, and reignited national concern over the state’s enduring insecurity.
In the aftermath, public outrage surged. Calls mounted for the cancellation of state events, including the “Experience Plateau: Arts Meets Fashion” programme. But Governor Caleb Mutfwang refused to yield.
Standing firm, he explained the decision as one of defiance against terror.
“These attackers intend to keep us in perpetual mourning,” the governor said at the time. “But life must go on. Plateau must move forward.”
His words were resolute, though the pain beneath them was unmistakable. He went further still, rejecting the often-used narrative of farmer-herder conflict and instead describing the violence in clear terms: genocide.
When President Tinubu visited earlier this month, he walked among survivors at a brief airport ceremony and surveyed the scars left behind. His message was measured but firm – justice would come, and peace, though distant, remained possible.
“We are optimistic that ongoing interventions will help restore lasting peace,” he said, urging vigilance among residents.
Now, with formal charges laid and court proceedings set to begin, Plateau stands at a critical juncture – caught between memory and hope, mourning and resolve. Whether justice will bring healing remains uncertain. But for many, it is at least a beginning.
