Yelwata Killings: Over 100 terrorists attacked Benue communities, witness tells court

2026-02-26 - 15:36

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA– The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, heard how over 100 AK-47-wielding terrorists attacked villages in Benue State, leading to the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm, and the death of over 150 persons in Yelwata community. A top investigator who appeared before the court as a star witness, made the revelation in the ongoing prosecution of nine persons who allegedly participated in the terrorist attacks. The defendants, Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed and Bako Jibrin, are answering to a 57-count terrorism charge. The federal government, which is prosecuting the matter, told the court that the defendants took part in meetings held between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, where a plan to attack the Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State was perfected. It added that the attack was subsequently carried out on June 13, 2025. At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, the Federal Government presented its first witness (PW-1), Mr. Moses Paul, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and member of the Intelligence Response Unit (IRU) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Testifying before trial Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the witness told the court that the defendants were engaged and funded by some disgruntled Fulani chiefs who held meetings and contributed money to execute attacks on Benue communities, including Yelwata. Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness said he was in Apa, Benue State, on the day the defendants attacked Yelwata. He told the court that, following the attack, he received a distress call and a directive to immediately investigate and identify the perpetrators. According to the witness, upon arriving in Yelwata, his team commenced investigations that led to the arrest of the defendants in Kadarko, Ageregu, and Nasarawa State. He said the first defendant, Abdullahi—the first person arrested—confessed during interrogation that he had attended meetings involving several Fulani chiefs in Nasarawa State. He told the court that the first defendant added that the meetings, which were sometimes held at the residence of one Alhaji Ardo Lawal Dono, were convened to address alleged unfair treatment of Fulani in Nasarawa and Benue States, including the killing of their cows. He said that at the end of the first meeting, Alhaji Dono, being the head of Ardos in Nasarawa State, asked the defendants to go and carry out revenge. The PW-1 further told the court that a second meeting was held at Ardo Mohammed Saidu’s house (2nd defendant) where it was agreed that funds would be contributed to execute the attack. He added that Abdullahi admitted contributing N300,000 while another participant at the meeting contributed N200,000. The witness told the court that Abdullahi told him that one of the defendants, Saidu, also known as Ardo Kadalko, said he lost about 250 of his cows and two of his children in a place very close to Yelwata. He said the defendants revealed that, though their initial target was a community called Dawudu, they diverted to Yelwata after encountering strong resistance. “The number of people that came for the attack in Yelwata were over 100 and they were wielding AK47. “Investigation into the case is still ongoing. Any moment from now, we may still bring another set of people,” the witness added. Continuing his testimony, the PW-1, said: “My lord, on the 13th of June 2025, we received a news of an attack in Yelwata in Benue State. I was in Apa, in Benue State on a kidnapping case when we were drafted to immediately move to Yelwata town. “We moved into the place on June 14 and gathered some information that led to the arrest of the defendants. Some of them were arrested in Kadalko (a border town between Benue and Nasarawa State), Ageregu (another border town) and Lafia in Nasarawa State.” The witness insisted that over 200 people were attacked in Yelwata which he said was like a meeting point for displaced people in other villages in Benue State. “So, people who were taking refuge in Yelwata were also victims of the attack,” the witness added, saying he spent almost a month in the community to conduct the investigation. Justice Abdulmalik adjourned further hearing on the matter till Friday. It will be recalled that the court had on February 2, remanded the nine defendants in Kuje prison after they pleaded not guilty to the charge against them. The defendants were said to have committed offences contrary to Sections 12(a), 13(1) (b), 15(b), 18, 19, 20(a), 21 (1), 26(1), 28(3) and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same Act.