Federal government has officially arraigned nine individuals suspected of participating in the deadly attack on Yelwata community in Benue State, which left multiple residents dead and properties destroyed.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suspects appeared before Judge Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
At the start of proceedings, Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, informed the court that a 57-count amended charge had been filed against the suspects under the case number FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025, which was lodged on January 20, 2026.
He also requested the court to remove Yakubu Mamman from the list of defendants, a motion the defence did not contest. As a result, the amended charge now lists nine suspects, replacing an earlier charge from September 10, 2025, which had eight defendants.
The nine individuals who pleaded not guilty to the charges are Ardo Lawal Mohammed, Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Muhammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed, and Bako Jibrin. Defence lawyers representing the suspects included Ibrahim Angulu, A. I. Kaura, and Adamu Abdullah.
The attack on Yelwata, which occurred in June 2025, involved armed assailants reportedly linked to criminal herders. The incident sparked outrage in the state and led to a nationwide call for stronger security measures to protect rural communities.
Security agencies, including Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Services (DSS), were deployed to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators. Authorities say the suspects are facing charges including murder, arson, and destruction of property, reflecting the scale and brutality of the attack.
The case continues as the court prepares to hear the arguments and evidence from both the prosecution and defence. Observers note that the trial could set a precedent for how rural communal violence cases are handled in Nigerian courts.
