THE Plateau State High Court, Jos, has remanded 20 suspects accused of killing wedding guests in the state.
The attack, carried out by a suspected mob in the Mangun community, Mangu Local Government Area (LGA), led to the death of 13 travellers while many others were injured. The victims were on their way to the Kwa community in the Qua’an Pan LGA of the state.
At least 32 victims, including children, were descended upon while heading for the wedding venue from the Basawa community in Kaduna’s Sabon Gari LGA.
The incident sparked widespread outrage across the country, with many demanding justice for the victims.
The court proceedings took an interesting turn on Thursday, July 10, when defence counsel Garba Pwol, a senior advocate, objected to the suspects entering their plea, citing the presence of two minors, aged 13 and 17, among the 22 suspects arraigned.
He argued that exposing minors to such proceedings was unlawful.
The prosecuting counsel, Samuel Idowu Ikutanwa, suggested excluding the minors’ names and allowing the remaining 20 suspects to take their plea.
The judge, Boniface Ngyon, ruled in favour of delaying plea-taking until the prosecution amends the charges to exclude the minors.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, July 11, following the court’s directive, the charges were amended, and the 20 suspects (excluding the two minors) pleaded not guilty to the four-count charges.
Ikutanwa read the charges against the accused, including criminal conspiracy, causing grievous bodily harm, culpable homicide, and killing and burning 13 people on June 20, 2025, contrary to sections 59 of the Penal Code, section 220, 313, and 187 of the Plateau State law cap 2017, respectively.
The prosecution claimed the defendants conspired to commit the offences, arming themselves with dangerous weapons like guns, cutlasses, machetes, and petrol.
The prosecutor then applied for a custodial order to remand the accused in Jos Correctional Centre, while the defence counsel filed a motion for bail.
Defence counsel did not oppose the application but instead filed a motion for bail.
The judge, in his ruling, stated that the application could not stand, considering the objections raised by the prosecution.
He thereafter adjourned the substantive suit to August 13, 2025, and ordered that the accused be remanded at the Jos Correctional Centre.
While addressing the press on Thursday, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, said the command responded swiftly to the attack by deploying personnel and operational assets to the scene, which led to the arrest of the perpetrators.
He confirmed that investigations had been concluded and the suspects were set for trial.
The ICIR reports that Plateau State has been one of the hotbeds for violence in recent years.
A reporter with the ICIR
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