Yelwata killings: Court sends 9 suspected terrorists to Kuje prison

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded the nine suspected terrorists who allegedly attacked Yelwata community in Benue State, where about 150 persons were killed in June 2025.

The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, ordered the remand of the suspected terrorists in Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja on Monday, February 2, 2026.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), led the federal government’s team of lawyers to court on Monday.

The AGF told the court that a 57-amended count had been filed against the suspected terrorists.

Fagbemi informed the court that though 10 defendants were earlier listed in the amended charge, he sought the order of the court striking out the name of the sixth defendant, Yakubu Mamman.

The defence lawyers, including Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), A. I. Kaura, and Adamu Abdullahi, did not oppose the AGF’s application and Mamman’s name was struck out from the charge.

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Fagbemi also applied that the initial charge dated September 9 but filed on September 10, 2025, where eight defendants were listed be substituted for the amended charge dated January 19 and filed on January 20, 2026.

After the defence lawyers did not object the application, the judge struck out the earlier charge.

The suspected terrorists were alleged to have carried out the attack on June 13, 2025, where many houses were burnt down and about 150 people were killed, while others sustained various degree of injuries.

The nine suspects include Ardo Lawal Mohammed, Muhammadu Saidu, Haruna Abdullahi, Yakubu Adamu, Muhammed Musa, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Saleh Mohammed, Bako Jibrin.

The Star