A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of nine men accused of taking part in the deadly Yelwata attack in Benue State, where about 150 people were reported killed.
According to The PUNCH, the defendants were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdul-Malik on a 57-count amended terrorism charge, to which they all pleaded not guilty.
Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who led the prosecution, told the court that the Federal Government had taken “painstaking steps to investigate the incident fully,” adding that the suspects were “strongly linked to the killings in Yelwata based on inter-agency collaboration and verified intelligence.”
Fagbemi also announced the withdrawal of charges against the sixth defendant, Yakubu Mamman.
He explained that the decision was made “in the interest of justice,” prompting Justice Abdul-Malik to strike out Mamman’s name.
The nine defendants remaining in the case are Ardo Lawal Mohammed, Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Muhammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed and Bako Jibrin.
At the request of the prosecution, the amended charge was read to them with the help of an interpreter.
According to count one, the accused were alleged to have held meetings between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State to plan the assault on Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area.
The prosecution stated that the attack on June 13, 2025 led to “the burning of structures, severe harm to residents, and the death of multiple persons.”
Fagbemi further argued that the defendants had “invoked the jurisdiction of this court for trial under Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,” and he urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing while they remain in custody.
When defence counsel Ibrahim Angulu sought bail orally, Justice Abdul-Malik insisted that “a formal application must be filed,” stressing that the court must consider it alongside the prosecution’s amended motion on notice.
The prosecution informed the court that eight witnesses would be called to testify.
Justice Abdul-Malik adjourned the case to February 26 and 27, 2026 for the commencement of trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre until then, saying, “This matter will proceed on the dates fixed for trial.”
Fagbemi appeared alongside the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), while several senior lawyers represented the defendants.
