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Absence of defense counsel delays arraignment of four suspects in Plateau killings
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The arraignment of four suspects charged in connection with a recent gunmen attack in the Angwa Rukuba Community, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, was delayed on Thursday due to the absence of defense counsel. The suspects appeared before Court 12 of the Plateau State High Court in Jos but requested an adjournment to contact their lawyers. The killings, which occurred on March 28, left over 30 people dead, including children, after suspected attackers invaded communities in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas. The Plateau State Government filed charges against the suspects over the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba. The government stated that the Department of State Services arrested the suspects between April 3 and April 10, 2026, and charged them with offenses including criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism. The four suspects are Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar also known as Auwalu Dogo, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim also known as Yaroro, and a fourth defendant. According to the charge filed by State Attorney General Philemon Daffi, the defendants conspired to commit terrorism by planning, organizing, facilitating, aiding, and contributing money to carry out the Angwan Rukuba attack, which resulted in over thirty deaths. Following the killings, Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to destabilize the state and labeling them as genocide. President Bola Tinubu visited the state earlier this month, met with victims, and a
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC has announced it is welcoming members from other political parties across the nation, expressing confidence in winning Nigeria's 2027 general elections. Speaking in Owerri, Imo State, the party's National Vice Chairman, South East, Chief Teddy Obey, characterized the NDC as a "clean, uncompromised platform" for Nigerians seeking an alternative to "recycled promises." Obey highlighted the NDC's status as Nigeria's newest political party and its lack of ongoing litigation as key advantages. He noted that other parties are involved in legal disputes, while the NDC is focused on building its structure. Obey was in Imo State to address grievances and prevent any suspicion of compromise, aiming to demonstrate the party's distinct approach. He also announced interim appointments for the party in Imo State, including Reginald Uwakwe as Interim State Chairman and Fabian Onyekwulisi as Chairman of both the Contact and Mobilisation Committee and the Candidate Selection Processes Committee.
Must ReadThe US government has reclassified cannabis, making it easier for Americans to use the drug for medical reasons and enabling more research into its safety and efficacy. Marijuana has been reclassified as having moderate to low addiction potential, a move that acting attorney general Todd Blanche stated would expand patients' access to treatments and empower doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions. Previously, cannabis was classified as "Schedule I," a category for drugs with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," which includes substances like heroin and methamphetamine, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency. It has now been moved to the third rung of the five-level Drug Schedule. The Department of Justice indicated that Thursday's action followed President Donald Trump’s executive order in December concerning increased medical marijuana research.
The City Boy Movement in Abia State, coordinated by Don Igbokwe, has been successfully inaugurated across all wards, local government areas, and three zones in the state. The movement, described as the most organized pro-Tinubu group under the leadership of Mayor Lucky Igbokwe, aims to influence voters to support President Bola Tinubu for a second term. In a recent interview, Igbokwe stated that the chapter has established a strong and fully functional grassroots network following the inauguration of LGA coordinators, executives, and polling unit teams. He emphasized that the movement is non-violent and uses moral persuasion to encourage Abia youths to vote for the President, enabling him to complete his initiatives in the state and the South East. Igbokwe cited the establishment of the South East Development Commission, EEDC, as one of the President's achievements. He urged Abians to support the movement, asserting that their backing would position them at the center of Tinubu's government, leading to more development initiatives and benefits for the state's youth.
Must ReadPresident Bola Tinubu has requested the Senate's approval for an external loan of $516,333,070 from Deutsche Bank to fund sections of the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway. This 1,000-kilometer highway is a key infrastructure project under his administration, designed to connect Nigeria's North-West and South-West corridors. The project will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, stretching from Illela to Badagry. It aims to enhance connectivity, economic integration, improve road safety, reduce logistics costs and travel time, facilitate trade, strengthen food security, and promote national integration by linking production zones to markets and ports. The financing structure includes a syndicated loan backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit, with the Federal Government providing ₦265.5 billion for land acquisition, compensation, and related infrastructure. The loan has a nine-year term, including a grace period of up to three years, and an interest rate benchmarked at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange SOFR plus 5.3 percent per annum. The Federal Executive Council has already approved the financing arrangement. Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the request to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for expeditious review, highlighting the project's economic significance and potential to reduce travel time between Sokoto and Lagos from approximately 13 hours to six h