Tuesday, February 3, 2026 - A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday remanded nine suspects accused of involvement in the Yelwata attack in Benue State, in which about 150 persons were killed.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to a 57-count amended charge
bordering on terrorism when they were arraigned before Justice Joyce
Abdul-Malik.
The arraignment followed the withdrawal of charges against
the sixth defendant, Yakubu Mamman, by the Attorney-General of the Federation,
Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The Office of the AGF had earlier said the suspects, who
were “strongly linked to the killings in Yelwata,” would be arraigned after
what it described as painstaking investigations and inter-agency collaboration.
Fagbemi appeared in court alongside the Director of Public
Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), for the prosecution.
Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), Christiana Sylvester and Aminu
Abubakar Bagudu represented the 1st, 8th and 9th defendants, respectively,
while A.I. Kaura appeared for the 2nd defendant. Adamu Abdullahi held brief for
the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 10th defendants.
Fagbemi informed the court that the prosecution had filed a
57-count amended charge dated January 19, 2026, and filed on January 20, 2026,
against 10 defendants.
He applied to withdraw the charge against the sixth
defendant as well as the earlier eight-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025,
dated September 9, 2025.
The defence raised no objection, prompting Justice
Abdul-Malik to strike out the name of the sixth defendant and withdraw the
earlier charge.
The remaining defendants are Ardo Lawal Mohammed, Muhammadu
Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Muhammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu,
Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed and Bako Jibrin.
Following the prosecution’s application, the court ordered
that the amended charge be read to the defendants with the aid of an
interpreter, after which they all pleaded not guilty to the 57 counts.
In count one of the charge, the defendants were accused of
participating in meetings between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State to plan
an attack on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State—an
attack allegedly carried out on June 13, 2025, resulting in the burning of
houses, grievous bodily harm and the death of about 150 persons.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 12(a) of the
Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
Fagbemi told the court that by virtue of Section 273 of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the defendants had invoked the court’s
jurisdiction for trial and applied for accelerated hearing. He also requested
that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility pending trial.
An oral application for bail was made by defence counsel,
Ibrahim Angulu, but the judge directed that a proper application be filed in
response to the prosecution’s amended motion on notice.
The prosecution said it intended to call eight witnesses.
Justice Abdul-Malik adjourned the matter to February 26 and
27, 2026, for the commencement of trial and ordered that the defendants be
remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending trial.
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