Nine individuals accused of masterminding the fatal attack on Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State in June 2025 have pleaded not guilty to a 57-count terrorism charge brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The defendants — Ado Lawal Mohammed Dunu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Mohammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shuaibu Adamu, Isa Yusuf Nagogo, Ado Mohammed Saidu, and Jibril Bako — on Monday denied any role in the June 13, 2025, assault that left the community severely affected.
Meanwhile, another suspect, Yakubu Mamman, is still on the run and has been removed from the court proceedings.
During the court hearing, the 57-count charge, translated into English, accused the suspects of conspiring between May and June 2025 to attack Yelwata, resulting in the destruction of homes, grievous bodily harm, and the death of approximately 150 residents.
The federal government further alleged that the suspects solicited funds from traditional leaders in Nasarawa State and recruited attackers from Kwara, Taraba, and Nasarawa states to carry out the assault.
According to the prosecution, these actions violate sections 20, 26, and 28 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2022.