Plateau Court Affirms Jurisdiction Over Terrorism Suspects

On Tuesday, a Plateau State High Court in Jos, presided over by Justice Gedeliah Fwomyon, ruled that state high courts possess the jurisdiction to try individuals accused of terrorism and related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. This ruling came while addressing a preliminary objection raised by four suspects arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their alleged involvement in the Easter 2026 attack on the Angwa Rukuba community, which resulted in over 30 fatalities.

The Plateau State Government had charged five suspects, including Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar (also known as Auwalu Dogo), and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (also known as Yaroro), with criminal conspiracy and terrorism. The defendants' counsel argued that such offences fell under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

However, Justice Fwomyon determined that the TPPA did not prohibit state courts from trying these offences and that both federal and state legislatures could legislate on terrorism matters.