Nigeria Charges Nine Men over Claims of Killing More than One Hundred
The suspects, facing 57 terrorism-related counts, appeared before a federal court in Abuja on Monday and were remanded in custody. Prosecutors accuse them of orchestrating the June 2025 attack in Yelwata, a village in the Guma district, where gunmen reportedly burned homes and killed numerous civilians.
According to the indictment, the men were involved in planning the assault, raising funds, acquiring weapons, and mobilizing militants across multiple states. Local reports named the accused as Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono—identified as the alleged ringleader—Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sale Mohammed, and Bako Jibrin. All pleaded “not guilty” and could face life sentences if convicted.
Benue lies in Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt, a region long affected by communal violence, kidnappings, and banditry, with armed groups frequently targeting villages and schools. In response to rising insecurity, the Nigerian government declared a nationwide security emergency in November 2025 and has increased troop deployments while seeking international support, including from the United States, after President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from “genocide.”
Recently, Nigerian forces reported killing Boko Haram commander Abu Khalid along with ten other militants during operations in Borno State. The insurgent group has waged a violent campaign since 2009, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacing millions.
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