ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerian prosecutors on Monday filed 57 terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of organising and executing the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata in Benue State, a massacre in which about 150 people were killed, court filings and officials said.
The suspects were arraigned at the Federal High Court before trial judge Joyce Abdul-Malik, with the prosecution led by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, according to Nigerian media reports.
Court documents allege the defendants — said to be led by Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono — held repeated planning meetings over several months in neighbouring Nasarawa State, raised funds, procured weapons including AK-47 rifles, and recruited gunmen who were then mobilised across multiple states for the assault.
Prosecutors also claim the group sought financial support from community leaders in Nasarawa as part of preparations, while some defendants allegedly played specialised roles such as supplying firearms, providing logistics, or offering locations for coordination meetings, according to the charge sheet summaries reported by Reuters and Premium Times.
The Yelwata killings, in Guma local government area, involved gunmen descending on the community, torching homes and attacking civilians, including people who had tried to shelter in safer locations, witnesses and rights groups said at the time.
All nine defendants pleaded not guilty, and the court ordered they be remanded pending bail consideration and the start of trial proceedings later this month, Nigerian outlets reported.
