Relatives and business partners of four of the five suspects arrested by the Department of State Services( DSS) over the March 28 attack and killings in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, have denied the allegations against them.

The suspects’ relatives and associates said Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim and Adamu Isa Alhassan were not involved in the Anguwan Rukuba community attack, insisting that they are businessmen who trade daily in the market.

In a statement, the 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 charges filed by the Attorney General of the state, Philemon Daffi, the defendants acted “contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017.

But at a press conference on Wednesday in Jos, the relatives denied any involvement by their family members, saying none was arrested with arms or linked to any evidence related to the accusations.

Mika’ilu Muhammad, a relative of Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, said the arrest was meant to tarnish his brother’s image.

“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 said when DSS personnel arrived at Ibrahim’s residence, they searched every nook and cranny of the house but found nothing and they told the family they were taking him to their headquarters 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, described the allegation as false.

He said his brother was arrested at the vegetable market, a section of building materials market where he supplies cabbage to different parts of 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 couldn’t 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, “ Ibrahim added.

Jamilu Musa, a relative of suspect Auwalu Abubakar, also denied the allegations against the suspect.

He said they were together when the DSS stormed his house, searched it, 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 at the press conference, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabbage Section of the Farin Gada Market said those arrested by the DSS were members of the market.

The Deputy Chairman said: “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 Anguwan 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.”

The relatives of the victims are, however, calling on DSS Director General and other relevant authorities to ensure the suspects get justice. (Daily Trust)