Plateau Court releases suspects who burnt to death 13 wedding guests from Zaria
The Plateau State High Court 7 has released on bail, the 20 suspects accused of attacking and burning to death 13 wedding guests in Mangun community of the state.
The victims, who were from Zaria, Kaduna State, were gruesomely murdered on June 20, 2025, while on their way to Qua’an Pan LGA to attend the wedding of a family member.
The bail was granted on Thursday by Justice Nafisa Lawal Musa, after hearing a motion from defence counsel, Garba Pwul (SAN), who hinged his bail application on the legal advice of Plateau State Director of Public Prosecution and the state Attorney-General.
The victims were gruesomely murdered on June 12, 2025, while on their way to Qua’an Pan LGA to attend the wedding of a family member.
The Nigeria Police had, in Suit No. PLD/115CR/2025, arraigned the 20 suspects on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, mischief with dangerous weapons, culpable homicide, and causing grievous harm, for the attacking and burning the 13 people.
The action of the 20 accused persons was contrary to Sections 59, 220, 313, and 189 of the Plateau State Law 2017.
Counsel for the defendants, Garba Pwul and I.S. Ikutanwa, had in July sought bail before Justice Boniface Ngyong but was unable to secure it due to the time constraint as the court was about to go on recess.
The court had advised that the application be filed before a vacation judge before it adjourned the matter to October 13, 2025.
A court order dated August 14, 2025, signed by the vacation judge, Justice Musa, and obtained by Daily Trust on Wednesday, stated that a motion on notice was filed by the defence counsel on August 11, 2025.
The motion prayed the court to take cognizance of the legal advice issued by the Director of Public Prosecution in the chambers of the Attorney-General of Plateau State.
The defence counsel also, by the legal advice in the motion, asked the court to discharge the applicants unconditionally or alternatively order immediate release of the applicants pending resumption of proceedings on the adjourned date of October 13, 2025.
After hearing the defence counsel, Justice Musa granted the second motion as prayed, in the spirit of transparency and without undermining High Court 10, which had earlier taken cognizance of the charge and adjourned the matter to October 13, 2025..
