DANIEL DAUDA, Jos
No fewer than 22 suspects alleged to be involved in a mob action that claimed the lives of commuters in Mangun district, Mangu local government area of Plateau State, were arraigned in court on Thursday.
It would be recalled that some commuters from Kaduna state said to be heading to Qua’anpan local government area on June 20th, 2025, for a wedding ceremony, ran into mob action in Mangun and were killed.
The case, which is between the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State command against 22 others, came up on Thursday, 10th July, 2025, at the Plateau State High Court 10, Jos Division, presided over by Hon. Justice Boniface Ngyon, initially slated for the suspects to take their plea.
However, when the case was called for hearing, Counsel to the Defendants, Chief Garba Pwol, SAN, told the court that he was privy to know about the matter just yesterday (Wednesday 9th July, 2025), and also discovered that out of the 22 accused persons, two (2) are minor which means according to him, “we have to amend the charges as against the earlier charges filed by the prosecuting counsel.”
Pwol further cited a section of the Constitution to buttress his claim that the two underage suspects can not be prosecuted in an open court nor remanded in a correctional facility except in a reformation centre.
In a quick reaction, the prosecuting counsel, S.l Ikutanwa Esq, said instead of an application to amend the charges against the suspects, the two minors should be identified and separated from other suspects, while other suspects should be allowed to take their plea.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Boniface Ngyon waded into the argument to avoid over flogging the issue and adjourned the matter to 11th July 2025 to enable the defendant counsel, Chief Garba Pwol amend the charges.
In another development, the Commissioner of Police Plateau State Command, CP Emmanuel Adesina, said based on their findings, all the 22 suspects actively participated in the crime that occurred on the 20th June, 2025.
The CP, who spoke to newsmen at the Command’s headquarters in Jos on Thursday, confirmed that upon receiving information about the incident on 21st June, 2025 at about 07:00 am.I personally visited the scene of the crime in the company of my Management Team and heads of other security agencies to assess the situation and put necessary measures in place to forestall any further breakdown of law and order.
“Today, I am pleased to announce to you that due to the diligent and swift operation of our men, we have arrested Twenty (22) suspects, while Six (6) suspects are still at large.”
He cautioned citizens, particularly the youth, to desist from taking the law into their own hands and report suspicious movements to the security agency.
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