The trial of nine suspects accused of involvement in the 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State was on Wednesday stalled again at the Federal High Court in Abuja following another adjournment.
The delay came after counsel to the 8th and 9th defendants, Y.A. Hassan, informed the court that it was his first appearance in the matter. He requested a short adjournment, explaining that the previous counsel had not transferred the case file to him, leaving him unfamiliar with the facts.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the request but urged the court to grant a brief date.
Court Warns Against Further Delays
While granting the adjournment, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik warned that the case is of significant public interest and that unnecessary delays would not be tolerated. She stated the court was “bending over backwards” to accommodate the defence and adjourned proceedings to March 9 and 10 for day-to-day trial.
The suspects were earlier arraigned on February 2 on a 57-count charge and pleaded not guilty through an interpreter. They were subsequently remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending trial.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, had sought an accelerated hearing, stating that eight witnesses were ready to testify.
Background to the Yelwata Attack
In June 2025, gunmen attacked the Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, killing scores and displacing hundreds. The attack sparked protests and widespread condemnation.
A survivor, Msurshima Apeh, later testified before the US House Subcommittee on Africa, recounting how she witnessed the killing of her five children during the attack. The hearing also examined former US President Donald Trump’s decision to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list in November 2026.
Following the incident, Bola Tinubu visited Benue State and directed security agencies to apprehend those responsible. He questioned the lack of immediate arrests during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Benue Government House in Makurdi.
The Yelwata killings added to a series of violent incidents in the state, intensifying calls for improved security measures and accountability.
The Office of the AGF has assured Nigerians that justice will be served, describing the prosecution as the result of “painstaking investigation and collaboration by government agencies.”