New defence lawyer’s request stalls Yelwata massacre trial

The trial of nine Yelwata massacre suspects stalled again at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Trial judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, had to adjourn the matter following a request by the lawyer to the eighth and ninth defendants, Y.A. Hassan, who informed the court that it was his “first appearance in the matter and yet to familiarise” himself with the charges.

On 2 February, the Nigerian government arraigned the nine defendants linked to the 13 June 2025 attack on Yelwata village in Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, which reportedly claimed the lives of about 150 people.

The prosecution on that day, led by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, arraigned the defendants on 57 terrorism charges.

The suspects include Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, and Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi.

The rest are Yakubu Adamu, Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sale Mohammed, and Bako Jibrin. All are male.

Adjournment

After lawyers announced their appearance during Wednesday’s proceedings, Y.A. Hassan, who appeared for Sale Mohammed and Bako Jibrin (the eighth and ninth defendants), appealed for a short adjournment, explaining that he was yet to familiarise himself with the facts of the case.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

The lawyer, who appeared in the case for the first time on Wedesday, said he had not even seen the charges.

Prosecution lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo, who is also the Director of Public Prosecutions, did not oppose the application.

However, Mr Oyedepo who appeared set for trial to commence, told Mr Hassan that evidence-in-chief of the neprosecution witness could be taken while cross-examination of the witness could be deferred tilll the next date. He urged the judge to grant a short adjournment if she so wished.

But Mr Hassan insisted he was not ready, prompting the judge to caution him before adjourning the case.

The judge told him that he is supposed to take the charge from the previous lawyer; so it is not the duty of the prosecution to keep furnishing the charges to the defence. “Before you take a case, you are supposed to ask necessary questions, so you don’t waste the time of the court,” said Ms Abdulmalki.

She warned that the matter is of significant public interest and that the court will not tolerate unnecessary delays going forward and adjourned the matter until 9 and 10 March for continuation of trial.

Backstory

The nine men were accused by the government of orchestrating the 13 June 2025 attack on Yelwata community in Benue State.

The prosecution arraigned them on 57 amended terrorism charges brought under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including planning the attack, recruiting fighters, providing financial and logistical support, and coordinating the armed assault that killed scores of residents and destroyed property.

The defendants denied all charges during arraignment.

The court remanded them at Kuje Correctional Centre and fixed 26 and 27 February for commencement of the trial.

At the 26 February proceedings, the prosecution called its first witness, a senior officer from the Nigeria Police Force’s Intelligence Response Unit.

He narrated the circumstances of the Yelwata attack, stating that the assailants, armed with rifles, stormed the community following prior meetings in Nasarawa State.

He linked the planning and mobilisation of the armed group to these meetings, detailing the killings, injuries, and destruction of property.

However, on 27 February, proceedings were temporarily stalled because the same eighth and ninth defendants were without legal representation as their former lawyer had applied for withdrawal.

READ ALSO: Taraba, Benue governors meet in Wukari, set up joint committee to tackle border insecurity

The development prompted the judge to adjourn proceedings until today, 4 March, for them to resolve their legal representation issues.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported that a federal team of forensic pathologists exhumed 105 bodies from mass graves in the Yelwata community as part of an ongoing investigation into attacks in the area.

The report said members of the Presidential Medical Delegation and officials of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency worked with the federal investigators during the exercise.

The exhumation followed the arraignment of the nine suspects. The court had stressed the need for forensic evidence to ensure a fair trial and proper determination of culpability.