Nine arraigned over Yelwata massacre as Court hears of alleged militia sponsorship

From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan

The trial of nine suspects accused of involvement in the June 13, 2025 massacre in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, commenced on Thursday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, with the prosecution presenting chilling details of how the deadly attack was allegedly orchestrated.

During proceedings, the court heard claims that certain Fulani chiefs allegedly sponsored more than 200 armed militias equipped with AK-47 rifles to carry out the coordinated assault on the agrarian community. The attack reportedly left over 220 civilians dead, with scores injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

The defendants are standing trial under Section 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The prosecution alleged that the accused persons participated in a series of meetings held between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, where plans for the attack were said to have been finalized. According to the charge, the meetings culminated in the early morning invasion of Yelwata on June 13, leading to widespread devastation.

Testifying as the first prosecution witness, a security operative identified simply as Paul told the court that he was in Apa, Benue State, when he received a distress call regarding the attack. He said he was subsequently deployed to investigate the incident.

Paul disclosed that investigations led to the arrest of one of the defendants, Haruna Abdullahi, at Ageregu in Nasarawa State. Under cross-examination, he told the court that Abdullahi allegedly confessed during interrogation to attending meetings involving Fulani chiefs in Nasarawa, where the attack on Yelwata was discussed.

According to the witness, the motive for the assault was linked to grievances reportedly expressed by the chiefs, who claimed that Fulani people in Benue State had suffered casualties and unfair treatment. The prosecution maintains that these grievances were used to justify mobilizing armed militias for the attack.

The June 13 invasion left Yelwata in ruins. Houses were razed, families displaced, and survivors forced to flee to safer locations. Many residents have since taken refuge at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, while others remain scattered across neighboring communities.

Some survivors attended Thursday’s court session, watching proceedings with visible emotion and expressing hope that justice would eventually prevail.

One of the survivors, Elizabeth Tsav, told journalists outside the courtroom that the violence claimed the lives of her husband and two daughters. She described the psychological toll of the tragedy, saying the trauma pushed her to the brink of suicide.

She also recounted the plight of her friend, Chinasa Michael Ejiaka, whose husband, Odunenyi Michael Amaki, and their two children have remained missing since the attack. Despite repeated efforts by community members to locate them, their whereabouts are still unknown.

Legal observers say the case is expected to test the application of Nigeria’s anti-terrorism laws in addressing mass violence linked to communal and militia-related conflicts. The prosecution is seeking to establish that the accused persons played direct roles in planning and executing the attack, while the defense is expected to challenge the credibility of confessional statements and the evidence presented.

The presiding judge adjourned the matter to a later date for the continuation of the examination of the first prosecution witness.