Relatives and business associates of four of the five suspects arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the March 28, 2026 killings in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, have rejected the allegations against them.
The families said Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim and Adamu Isa Alhassan were not involved in the attack on Angwan Rukuba community, describing them as traders who conduct daily business in local markets. Their reaction followed reports linking the suspects to the killings and the subsequent filing of charges by the Plateau State Government.
In a statement, the state government said the DSS arrested the suspects between April 3 and April 10, 2026, and charged them with offences including criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism. According to the charge filed by the state Attorney General, Mr Philemon Daffi, the defendants acted “contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017.”
At a press conference in Jos yesterday, the relatives dismissed the allegations, stating that none of the suspects was arrested with arms or linked to any evidence. Mika’ilu Muhammad, a relative of Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, said the arrest was intended to damage his brother’s reputation.
“My brother is a member of a religious aid group who has never committed any crime and is known for his kindness and compassion. He sells cabbage in Farin Gada, a vegetable market in Jos every day, and has business partners who can attest to that,” he said. He added that DSS operatives searched Ibrahim’s residence thoroughly but found nothing before taking him in for questioning.
“To our surprise, the Plateau State Government issued a statement alleging that he was among the suspects in the Angwan Rukuba attack. This allegation is far from the truth,” Muhammad said.
Abubakar Umar Ibrahim, younger brother of Adamu Isa Alhassan, also rejected the allegation, stating that his brother was arrested at a vegetable section of a building materials market where he supplies cabbage across the country.
“The DSS arrested him while he was coming out of the market. They told us they were investigating him, but we were shocked to see his name among those accused of participating in the Angwan Rukuba attack,” he said. “They took him to his house and destroyed his property but could not find any weapon or evidence linked to the alleged attack. It is totally unacceptable because it is not true. He is a businessman and also engages in cattle rearing. He knows nothing about the attack,” he added.
Jamilu Musa, a relative of Auwalu Abubakar, said he was present when DSS operatives searched the suspect’s house and found nothing. “They refused to allow us to see him to find out the reason for the arrest, but we were shocked when the government published his name as a suspect in the Angwan Rukuba attack,” Musa said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabbage Section of Farin Gada Market said the suspects were known traders and longstanding members of the market community. “The suspects are our members and business partners of many years. Their arrest and the accusations came as a surprise because we were always with them in the market before the arrest. They never raised their voice at anyone, not to talk of killing someone.
“I remember after the government relaxed the 24-hour curfew after the attack on Angwan Rukuba, one of the suspects, Ibrahim Musa Abubakar, was among those who prevented violence around Farin Gada. He even saved the lives of eight Christian women and handed them over to soldiers stationed around the market during the crisis. All of them are peace-loving people, but we could not understand why they were accused of committing such a grievous crime,” he said.
The relatives called on the Director General of the DSS and other relevant authorities to ensure justice for the suspects.
