Yelwata killings: Nine suspects plead not guilty to 57-count charge

Nine suspects linked to the attack on a Benue State community have pleaded not guilty to the 57-count charge of terrorism preferred against them by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The nine suspects: Ado Lawal Mohammed Dunu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Mohammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Yakubu Mamman (at large, struck out), Shuaibu Adamu, Isa Yusuf Nagogo, Ado Mohammed Saidu and Jibril Bako, denied involvement in the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

In the 57-count charge read to them in court and translated in English language, the federal government alleged that the suspects, between May and June 2025, conspired to attack the community resulting in the burning of houses, causing grievous bodily harms and death of approximately 150 persons.

The federal government also accused the suspects of soliciting funds from Ados (chiefs) in Nasarawa State, recruited attackers from Kwara, Taraba and Nasarawa states to carry out the deadly attacks.

According to the prosecution, the allegations infringe on sections 20, 26 and 28 of Terrorism Prevention Act, 2022.

Daily Trust reports that more than 100 innocent people including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were murdered in cold blood in June when their attackers stormed Yelwata while many others were injured.

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