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By Correspondent in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of nine suspected terrorists accused of carrying out the deadly attack on Yelwata Community in Benue State, where about 150 persons were reportedly killed on June 13, 2025.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik directed that the defendants be kept at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications and adjourned the matter to February 26 and 27 for trial.
The order followed the
arraignment of the suspects on a 57-count amended charge bordering on terrorism-related offences. The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Following their plea, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who led the prosecution team, urged the court to fix an early trial date to enable the Federal Government present its evidence.
He said: “In line with Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the plea of not guilty means the defendants have invoked the jurisdiction of this court for trial.
“Given the nature of this case, we are seeking accelerated hearing, and we ask that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility pending trial,l.”
When asked by the court how many witnesses the prosecution intended to call, the AGF disclosed that the Federal Government would, for now, present eight witnesses.
The Counsel to the 1st, 8th and 9th defendants, Mr. Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, informed the court that his clients had earlier filed a bail application before the amended charge was served on them and sought leave to move an oral bail application.
However, Justice Abdulmalik declined the request, insisting that the proper procedure must be followed.
“The practice of this court is that you file a formal bail application,” the judge ruled.
Our correspondent reports that the suspects carried out the coordinated attack on Yelwata Community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, during which several houses were razed and scores of residents sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The suspects were later arrested through a coordinated operation involving security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS).
Those arraigned are: Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sale Mohammed and Bako Jibrin.
Earlier in the proceedings, the AGF informed the court that an amended charge had been filed against the defendants, adding that although 10 defendants were initially listed, the prosecution applied for the name of the 6th defendant, Yakubu Mamah, to be struck out.
The defence counsel, including Angulu, A.I. Kaura and Adamu Abdullahi, raised no objection, and the court accordingly struck out Mamah’s name.
Fagbemi also applied for the substitution of the original charge dated September 9, 2025 and filed September 10, 2025, with the amended charge dated January 19 and filed January 20 and the court granted it after the defence raised no objection.
The amended charge was thereafter read to the defendants for their plea.
In count one of the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025, the defendants and others still at large were alleged to have, between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, knowingly participated in meetings connected with the commission of acts of terrorism.
They were accused of planning and executing the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata Community, which allegedly resulted 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, and punishable under the same provision.
The offence is alleged to be contrary to Section 26(2)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under the Act, among other charges.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
