The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the remand of nine suspected terrorists, who reportedly assaulted Yelwata Community in Benue on June 13, 2025, where around 150 persons were killed, in Kuje Correctional Centre.
The matter was postponed till February 26 and 27 for trial by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who issued the order pending the hearing of their bail applications.
The incident happened soon after the defendants were charged with 57 modified counts that included allegations of terrorism, although they entered not guilty pleas to each count.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who headed the legal team in the case, requested a trial date so they could present their evidence against the defendants following their not guilty plea.
In accordance with Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, I would like to state that the defendants have claimed your lordship’s jurisdiction for a trial after entering a plea of not guilty.
Fagbemi prayed, “And based on the nature of the trial, I will be asking my lord for an accelerated hearing, and the defendants be ordered to be taken to correctional facility pending trial.”
“For now, we have about eight witnesses,” the AGF responded when the judge asked how many witnesses the prosecution would be calling to testify against the accused.
Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, who represented the first, eighth, and ninth defendants, informed the court that although they had already submitted an application for release prior to the new charge being served on them earlier in the morning, the attorney requested the court’s indulgence to make an oral bail application.
He referenced a previous case to bolster his position but Justice Abdulmalik knocked down Angulu’s plea, directing him to make a formal application.
“This court requires you to submit a formal bail application,” she stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused terrorists were believed to have carried out the attack on June 13, 2025, where numerous houses were burnt down and about 150 people were slaughtered, while others sustained various degree of injuries.
However, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security organizations worked together to arrest them.
The nine suspects, who were arraigned, were Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sale Mohammed and Bako Jibrin.
When the matter was summoned earlier, Fagbemi told the judge that the defendants were facing an amended accusation.
The AGF stated that even though the amended accusation had previously specified ten defendants, he requested a court order removing the name of Yakubu Mamah, the sixth defendant.
Mamah’s name was removed from the accusation because the defense attorneys, Angulu, A. I. Kaura, and Adamu Abdullahi, did not object to AGF’s application.
Fagbemi also sought that the initial charge, dated Sept. 9, 2025 but filed Sept. 10, 2025, where eight defendants were mentioned be substituted for the amended complaint, dated Jan. 19 but filed Jan. 20.
After the defence did not express objection to the application, the court wiped out the prior accusation.
The AGF then requested that the defendants be read the 57 counts so they might enter a plea.
In count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025, the defendants and others remaining at large were alleged to have, somewhere between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, knowingly and personally participated in meetings in connection with the commission of an act of terrorism.
They allegedly organized the attack on Yelwata Community in Benue’s Guma Local Government Area and carried it out on June 13, 2025, resulting in the burning of homes, serious injuries, and the deaths of almost 150 people.
The offence is said to be contrary to statute 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same statute.
In count 25, Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono (1st defendant) was alleged to have, between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, “instigated and instructed other ARDOs and all Fulani youths in Nasarawa State, Kwara State, Taraba State, Giza, and other surrounding villages to carry out attack on Yelwata Community” on June 13, 2025, where at least 150 persons died.
Among other things, the offence violates Section 26(2)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and is punishable under that Act.
