The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday heard harrowing accounts of how more than 100 AK-47-wielding assailants allegedly descended on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, k!lling over 150 persons and burning homes in a coordinated assault.
The chilling testimony emerged during the arraignment of nine defendants over their alleged involvement in the June 13, 2025 massacre.
The defendants – Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono; Ardo Muhammadu Saidu; Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi; Yakubu Adamu; Musa Mohammed; Abubakar Adamu; Shaibu Ibrahim; Saleh Mohammed; and Bako Jibrin – were arraigned on a 57-count charge bordering on terrorism.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik subsequently remanded them at Kuje Correctional Centre pending further hearing.
The Federal Government accused the defendants of participating in a series of meetings between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, where plans were allegedly perfected to attack Yelwata.
The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution presented its first witness, Chief Superintendent of Police Moses Paul, a member of the Intelligence Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness narrated how security operatives responded to the attack.
“My lord, on June 13, 2025, we received news of an attack in Yelwata. I was in Apa on a kidnapping case when we were drafted to immediately move to Yelwata town,” he told the court.
According to him, investigations began on June 14 and led to the arrest of the suspects in Kadarko and Ageregu – border communities between Benue and Nasarawa states – as well as in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The witness alleged that the defendants were engaged and funded by disgruntled Fulani chiefs who convened meetings and raised funds to execute attacks on Benue communities.
He told the court that the first defendant allegedly confessed during interrogation to attending meetings with Fulani chiefs in Nasarawa State.
Some of the meetings, he said, were held at the residence of Ardo Lawal Dono, described as head of Ardos in Nasarawa State.
According to the witness, the gatherings were convened to address perceived injustices against Fulani herders in Nasarawa and Benue states, including alleged killings of cattle.
“At the end of one of the meetings, Dono allegedly urged participants to carry out a revenge attack,” he said.
A second meeting was said to have been held at the residence of Ardo Mohammed Saidu, where funds were allegedly contributed to execute the operation.
The witness claimed that Abdullahi admitted contributing N300,000, while another participant contributed N200,000.
He further testified that Saidu, also known as Ardo Kadalko, claimed to have lost about 250 cows and two children in a community close to Yelwata.
According to the prosecution witness, the attackers initially targeted Dawudu community but diverted to Yelwata after meeting resistance.
“The number of people that came for the attack in Yelwata were over 100 and they were wielding AK-47,” he said.
He added that more than 200 persons were attacked in the community, which had become a refuge for displaced villagers.
“People who were taking refuge in Yelwata were also victims of the attack,” he told the court, noting that he spent nearly a month in the area conducting investigations.
He added that investigations were ongoing and that more arrests could follow.
Following the testimony, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned further hearing in the matter till Friday.
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