Nigerian prosecutors have filed 57 terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of orchestrating a deadly attack on the Yelwata community in central Benue state in June 2025, an assault that left about 150 people dead.
Benue lies within Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt, a region long plagued by violence driven by disputes over land, religion and ethnicity, challenges authorities have struggled to contain.
Court filings at the Federal High Court in Abuja allege that the suspects held planning meetings, raised funds, procured weapons and mobilised fighters across several states ahead of the June 13 attack, described as one of the deadliest rural assaults in recent years.
According to prosecutors, the alleged ringleader, Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, met with others in neighbouring Nasarawa state to raise money, issue instructions and recruit fighters. Several of the accused are said to have supplied AK-47 rifles, provided logistical support, or offered locations for planning the operation.
The prosecution says the attackers torched homes and inflicted heavy casualties during the raid on Yelwata in Benue’s Guma district.
