Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the nine people who were detained in connection with the murders in Yelwata, Benue State, be held at Kuje Correctional Center until their trial.
Today, the federal government brought the accused to court.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), was in charge of the prosecution for the arraignment of nine suspects.
The people that were arrested were charged with 57 counts.
When the charges were read to them through an interpreter, they said they were not guilty.
The AGF called for a quick trial, and the accused were sent to a detention center until the trial began.
Attorneys for the first, eighth, and ninth accused asked for an oral request for bail.
The AGF indicated that eight witnesses were ready to give evidence in court.
But Justice Abdulmalik said they should stay at Kuje Correctional Centre until their trial.
The trial was put off until February 26 and 27.
The office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice told Nigerians earlier that justice would be delivered in this case. This was a powerful message to anyone who wants to harm the country, no matter what they look like.
The statement from Kamarudeen Ogundele, the SA to the AGF and Minister of Justice, said, “The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to protecting the lives and property of all, as stated in the constitution.”
He stated this happened following a “painstaking investigation and collaboration by government agencies.”
Yelwata Attack
In June 2025, gunmen invaded the Yelwata community in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area. Many people were killed and hundreds were forced to leave their homes.
The event led to a huge protest and a lot of people speaking out against it.
Security authorities said they had taken some suspects into custody in connection with the attacks.
Msurshima Apeh, who survived the Yelwata massacre, told the US Congress that she saw her five children being killed during the raid.
“I observed a tree when I looked up during this action. I put my hands on the tree and climbed up to a place where I could conceal. She told the House Subcommittee on Africa, which looked into President Donald Trump’s decision to put Nigeria back on the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list in November 2026, “My five children that I left below were crying, and in my presence, they were being slaughtered by the terrorists.”
After the event, Tinubu went to the state and told security forces to go after the people who planned it.
“Police, I hope your officers are on the lookout for information. Why hasn’t anyone been arrested? Tinubu stated at a gathering of stakeholders at the Benue Government House in Makurdi, the capital, “I expect those criminals to be arrested.”
The incident was just one more act of violence in the state. For example, four people were killed in the Otobi village, including Igbabe Ochi, a House of Assembly candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election for the Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency.
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