The trial of nine suspects accused of involvement in the 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State was again stalled on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja following a fresh adjournment request.
The delay arose after Y.A. Hassan, counsel to the 8th and 9th defendants, informed the court that it was his first appearance in the matter and that he was yet to fully familiarise himself with the case file, which had not been formally transferred from the previous defence counsel.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the application but urged the court to grant only a short adjournment to prevent further delays.
Presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, cautioned that the case is of significant public interest and that the court would no longer tolerate unnecessary adjournments.
She noted that the court was “bending backwards” to accommodate the defence and subsequently fixed March 9 and 10, 2026, for day-to-day trial proceedings.
The defendants were first arraigned on February 2 on a 57-count charge linked to the deadly attack in Yelwata, a community in Guma Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly killed scores of residents and displaced hundreds in 2025.
During the arraignment, the suspects pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them through an interpreter.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, had earlier requested an accelerated trial, leading to the defendants’ remand at a correctional facility pending the commencement of proceedings.
Counsel for the first, eighth, and ninth defendants also sought oral bail applications, but the court ordered that the accused persons remain in custody.
The prosecution disclosed that eight witnesses were prepared to testify in the matter.
Earlier, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation assured Nigerians that justice would be served in the case, stating that the administration of Bola Tinubu remained committed to protecting lives and property as guaranteed under the constitution.
The statement, issued through the Special Assistant to the AGF on Media, Kamarudeen Ogundele, followed what authorities described as “painstaking investigations and inter-agency collaboration.”
The Yelwata attack occurred in June 2025 when gunmen assaulted the community in Guma LGA, killing several residents and displacing many others. The incident triggered widespread outrage, protests, and calls for swift justice.
A survivor of the attack, Msurshima Apeh, later recounted the horror before a subcommittee of the United States Congress, describing how she watched the killing of her five children during the assault.
The violence in the region added to security concerns in the state, including other reported killings such as the attack in Otobi community, which claimed the lives of four people, including a political candidate during the 2019 electoral cycle.
Authorities have vowed to ensure that the prosecution proceeds without further disruption as the trial approaches its next hearing dates.
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