An Abuja Federal High Court will today hear one of the suits filed against persons who allegedly participated in the Jos mayhem which claimed several lives on January 17.

The court last month remanded 108 persons in Kuje prison for acts of alleged terrorism and killing in the crisis.

The accused persons, who were grouped based on the offences they committed were arraigned in batches before Justice D. Okorowo and Justice Gabriel Kolawole who adjourned some of the cases to March 18 and 24 respectively for hearing.

While one of the accused persons, Daniel Gaba was said to have died in a hospital after taking ill in detention, others including Hasimu Abdullahi, Tijani Umar, Mohammed Sani, Emmanuel Danyaya and Samson Dan all pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile 37 persons who allegedly participated in the mayhem were also arraigned before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar and 15 others before Justice Adamu Bello, both of the Abuja Federal High Court.

The suspects were arraigned on charges ranging from terrorist acts to illegal possession of firearms, non compliance with curfew and other acts which caused the death of several persons and willful damage to public and private properties.

They however did not take their plea as their counsels challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

They argued that the offences were allegedly committed in Jos, Plateau State, and Prosecution was yet to show how the crisis affected anybody outside the state.

Meanwhile Counsel to some of the accused persons, Justin Chung, argued that one of them is a minor and should not have been arrested or detained in the first place. He asked that the name of the 12 year old be extracted from the suit.

Justice Bello however said the court could not give such an order as the jurisdiction of the court was been challenged. He adjourned till March 19 to rule on the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.