Nine suspects charged in the deadly Yelwata attack in Benue State on Monday pleaded not guilty to a 57-count amended charge bordering on terrorism before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suspects were brought before Justice Joyce Abdul-Malik following the dropping of charges against the sixth defendant, Yakubu Mamman, by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Chronicle NG reports that the Office of the AGF, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspects who were “strongly linked to the killings in Yelwata” would be arraigned on Monday following “painstaking investigation and collaboration by government agencies.”
The AGF appeared in person for the complainant, as did the Federation’s Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), Christiana Sylvester, and Aminu Abubakar Bagudu represented the first, eighth, and ninth defendants, respectively, while A.I. Kaura stood for the second defendant. Adamu Abdullahi presented briefs for the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth defendants.
Fagbemi informed the court that the prosecution had submitted a 57-count amended complaint against ten defendants on January 19, 2026 and January 20, 2026, respectively.
He stated that the prosecution was abandoning the case against the sixth defendant and had also applied to remove the previous eight-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025, dated September 9, 2025.
The defense did not protest; therefore, Justice Abdul-Malik struck out the sixth defendant’s name and dismissed the prior accusation.
The remaining defendants include Ardo Lawal Mohammed, Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Muhammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed, and Bako Jibrin.
Following the prosecution’s request, the court ordered that the amended charge be read to the defendants and their pleas recorded with the assistance of an interpreter.
In count one of the charge, the defendants were accused of intentionally attending meetings in Nasarawa State in May and June 2025 to prepare an attack on the Yelwata community in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area.
“That you… sometime between May and June 2025, in Nasarawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly and directly participated in meetings in connection with the commission of an act of terrorism, to wit: to plan an attack on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, the attack which was subsequently carried out on the 13th day of June, 2025 and resulted in the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm, and the death of approximately 150 persons. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 12(a) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act (2022) and punishable under the same section.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty on all 57 counts.
Fagbemi informed the court that, pursuant to Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the defendants had claimed the court’s jurisdiction for trial and requested an accelerated hearing.
He further requested that the accused be remanded in a detention facility pending trial and that a trial date be set.
Ibrahim Angulu filed an oral plea for bail, but the judge ordered the defense to file a proper application in response to the prosecution’s modified motion on notice. Counsel then requested a quick timeline to move the bail application.
The prosecution notified the court that they planned to call eight witnesses throughout the trial.
The case was adjourned to February 26 and 27, 2026, for trial, and Justice Abdul-Malik ordered that the accused be kept at the Kuje Correctional Centre until trial.
