A prosecution witness on Thursday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that some disgruntled Fulani chiefs sponsored over 200 armed men wielding AK-47 rifles to carry out the June 13, 2025, attack on Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack allegedly left more than 200 people dead and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
The witness, Moses Paul, a team leader with the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, testified in the trial of nine suspects charged in connection with the attack in Benue State.
The nine suspects accused of involvement in the deadly Yelwata attack pleaded not guilty on Monday, February 3, 2026, to 57 amended charges bordering on terrorism before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In count one of the charge, the defendants were accused of knowingly participating in meetings between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State to plan an attack on Yelwata.
The prosecution alleged that the attack led to the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm, and the death of about 150 persons, contrary to Section 12(a) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
The 1st to 5th and 7th to 10th defendants were subsequently ordered remanded at the Kuje Correctional Facility pending trial.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness alleged that the attackers were commissioned and funded by disgruntled Fulani chiefs who held meetings and pooled resources to execute the assault.
Paul told the court that he was in Apa, Benue State, when he received a distress call on the day of the incident and was immediately assigned to investigate the case.
“Upon arriving in Yelwata, our team commenced investigations which led to the arrest of the defendants in Kadarko, Ageregu, and parts of Nasarawa State,” he said.
According to him, the first defendant arrested was Haruna Abdullahi, apprehended in Ageregu, Nasarawa State.
During interrogation, Abdullahi allegedly confessed to attending meetings involving Fulani chiefs in Nasarawa.
The witness said the meetings were convened to address what was described as alleged unfair treatment of Fulani in Benue and Nasarawa, including the killing of their cattle and some of their kinsmen.
Paul further testified that the chiefs allegedly mobilised funds and engaged armed men to carry out the attack.
He added that the initial target was the Daudu community, but upon encountering resistance, the assailants diverted to Yelwata.
Earlier, the court declined an application by the first defendant’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, seeking to challenge jurisdiction and request bail.
The defence noted that Angulu suffered a stroke while in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, but Justice Joyce Abdulmalik declined the request.
The court adjourned the matter to February 27 for the continuation of the examination of the first prosecution witness.
