The Federal Government on Monday arraigned nine suspected terrorists before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in a deadly attack on Yelwata community in Benue State, in which about 150 persons were reportedly killed.
The suspects were brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, following a prosecution led by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who informed the court that the government had filed a 57-count amended charge against the defendants.
Fagbemi told the court that although 10 defendants were initially listed in the amended charge, the prosecution was seeking leave to strike out the name of the sixth defendant, Yakubu Mamman, from the case. Defence counsel, led by Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, alongside A. I. Kaura and Adamu Abdullahi, did not oppose the application.
Justice Abdulmalik accordingly struck out Mamman’s name from the charge.
The AGF also applied for the substitution of the original charge dated September 9, 2025, which was filed on September 10, 2025 and listed eight defendants, with the amended charge dated January 19, 2026, filed on January 20, 2026, and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025.
With no objection from the defence, the trial judge struck out the earlier charge and ordered that the amended charge take effect.
Following this, the AGF requested that the 57-count charge be read to the defendants to enable them enter their pleas.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly carried out the attack on June 13, 2025, during which numerous houses were razed, about 150 residents were massacred, and several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The nine defendants arraigned are Ardo Lawal Mohammed, Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Muhammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed, and Bako Jibrin.
The matter was adjourned to enable further proceedings.
FG Arraigns Nine Terror Suspects over Yelwata Massacre in Benue
