First Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the trial of the nine suspects arraigned by the Federal Government over their alleged involvement in the massacre of about 150 people in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, in June last year, told a Federal High Court in Abuja how more than 200 armed men wielding AK-47 rifles carried out the assault.
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The witness, Moses Paul, a team leader with the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), disclosed this in his testimony on Thursday while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel and Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
He told the court that the attackers were allegedly commissioned and funded by disgruntled Fulani chiefs who held meetings and pooled resources together to execute the attack on Yelwata town in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where several people died and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Paul testified that he was in Apa, Benue State, on the day of the incident when he received a distress call and was immediately assigned to investigate.
Upon arriving in Yelwata, he said his team commenced investigations, which led to the arrest of the defendants in Kadarko, Ageregu and Nasarawa State.
According to him, the first defendant to be arrested was Haruna Abdullahi, who was apprehended in Ageregu, Nasarawa State.
The witness told the court that Abdullahi, during interrogation, confessed to attending meetings involving Fulani chiefs in Nasarawa State, beginning at the residence of one Ardo Lawal. The meetings, he said, were convened to address what was described as the alleged unfair treatment of Fulani in Nasarawa and Benue States, including the killing of their cattle and some of their kinsmen.
The witness further stated that Abdullahi allegedly confessed that the chiefs mobilised funds and engaged armed men to carry out the attack. He added that the initial target was said to be the Daudu community, but upon encountering resistance there, the assailants reportedly diverted to Yelwata, where the attack was carried out.
Earlier, the court declined a request by counsel to the first defendant to move motions challenging the court’s jurisdiction and seeking bail.
Defence counsel had informed the court that the first defendant had suffered a stroke while in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
After the testimony, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, adjourned the matter until 27 February for continuation of the examination of the first prosecution witness.
In the 57-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025, the defendants – Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Alhaji Mohammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sale Mohammed and Bako Jibrin, among others, said to be still at large – allegedly met in Nasarawa State between May and June 2025 to plan and coordinate the attack.
One of the counts alleged that Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Mohammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed, Bako Jibrin and others still at large, sometime between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State within the jurisdiction of the 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 13 June 2025, resulted in the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm and the death of approximately 150 persons, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section.
The defendants were also accused of having, sometime between May and June 2025, in Nasarawa State, conspired among themselves to plan an attack on Yelwata Community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The attack, which was subsequently carried out on 13 June 2025, resulted in the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm and the death of approximately 150 persons in Yelwata, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 12 of the same Act.
Count 57 reads: “That you, Bako Jibrin ‘M’, between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, engaged in preparations to commit an act of terrorism by coordinating and planning during the meeting at Ardo Lawal’s palace in the execution of the attack on Yelwata Community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The attack, which was subsequently carried out on 13 June 2025, resulted in the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm and the death of approximately one hundred and fifty (150) persons in Yelwata. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same Act.”
The federal government said in a statement that the arraignment of the defendants followed a painstaking investigation and collaboration by government agencies.
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