The Federal High Court, yesterday, heard a harrowing testimony detailing how more than 100 AK-47-wielding terrorists invaded communities in Benue State, razing homes, inflicting grievous injuries and killing over 150 people in Yelwata.
A senior police investigator, who testified as the prosecution’s star witness, disclosed the chilling account during the trial of nine defendants accused of orchestrating and executing the 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 facing a 57-count charge bordering on terrorism.
The Federal Government told the court that the accused participated in a series of meetings held between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, where plans to attack Yelwata were allegedly perfected. The attack was said to have been carried out on June 13, 2025.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution called its first witness, Mr Moses Paul, a Chief Superintendent of Police and operative of the Intelligence Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
Testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Paul said the defendants were recruited and financed by disgruntled Fulani chiefs who convened meetings and raised funds to launch coordinated reprisals against Benue communities.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness said he was in Apa, Benue State, on the day of the attack and received a distress call directing him to investigate.
He told the court that his team’s probe led to the arrest of the suspects in Kadarko, Ageregu and parts of Nasarawa State.
According to the witness, the first defendant confessed to attending meetings at the residence of Alhaji Ardo Lawal Dono, where grievances over the alleged mistreatment of Fulani people, including the killing of cattle, were discussed.
He said a second meeting at the home of the second defendant culminated in an agreement to fund and execute the attack, with individual contributions running into hundreds of thousands of Naira.
Paul further testified that the attackers initially targeted the Dawudu community but diverted to Yelwata after meeting stiff resistance.
Justice Abdulmalik, thereafter, adjourned the matter till today for continuation of the hearing.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty, have been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre since February 2.
They are charged under various provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
