20110203
Xinhua
JOS, Nigeria, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The police in northern Nigeria's restless Plateau State has arraigned 40 suspects for their alleged involvement in rioting and being in possession of illegal weapons in the state.

The suspects include a cleric, five juveniles and a 69-year-old man.

The suspects, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Jacob Aten on Wednesday in Jos, the state capital, were charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting with deadly weapons and unlawful possession of fire arms.

The police prosecutor, Anderson Egoh, said the suspects were arrested by men of the Special Task Force (STF) on Feb. 27 at Ropp District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.

The accused were alleged to have burned down several houses and places of worship, while in possession of three AK-47 military rifles, two locally made pistols and one revolver pistol.

Egoh said one dane gun, five axes, 26 cutlasses and knives as well as 45 rounds of 7.2mm special live ammunition were also recovered from them.

Also recovered were three rounds of 3.5mm live ammunition, 10 rounds of 0.9mm live ammunitions, four rounds of 7.62mm rounds of ammunition and six rounds of 7.2mm live ammunitions.

Five defense Counsel who appeared for the suspects applied for bail for their clients, which was opposed by the prosecution counsel.

Egoh argued that it would be detrimental to grant bail to the accused, considering the enormity of the crimes and the alleged deadly weapons found in their possessions.

"Any bail granted the accused would jeopardize police investigation into the case," he said.

He urged the court to remand the suspects in prison custody pending the conclusion of police investigation.

The magistrate adjourned the case till March 16, and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

The Plateau State is situated in Nigeria's middle belt where the Muslim-dominated north and the Christian-majority south meet. It has seen years of ethnic tensions and is a major potential flashpoint ahead of the April presidential elections.

The state capital Jos was plunged in a pool of blood on March 7, 2010, when members of local Muslim and Christian communities fought each other in revenge for previous killings.

Police said 109 people were slain in the March 7 tragedy, mostly women and children, weeks after hundreds died in waves of sectarian violence in the region. The bombings in Jos on the Christmas Eve last year killed at least 80 people.