Nigerian prosecutors have charged nine men with 57 terrorism-related offences over a June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata in Benue State that killed about 150 people. The indictment accuses a ringleader, Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, and associates of organising meetings in Nasarawa State, fundraising, recruiting fighters and supplying weapons. Prosecutors say the raid burned homes and caused heavy casualties in Guma district. The case comes amid broader security concerns in Nigeria and reported cooperation with U.S. forces after December 25 strikes.
Nigeria Files 57 Terrorism Charges Over June 2025 Yelwata Massacre That Killed About 150
FILE PHOTO: A man stands in front of a damaged and burnt house following a deadly gunmen attack in Yelwata, Benue State, Nigeria, June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye/File Photo
ABUJA, Feb. 2 — Nigerian prosecutors on Monday filed 57 terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja against nine men accused of a June 13, 2025 raid on the Yelwata community in central Benue State that left about 150 people dead.
Charges and Allegations
The indictment alleges the defendants held planning meetings, raised funds, procured weapons and mobilised fighters across several states in the run-up to the attack. Prosecutors identify alleged ringleader Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono among those who, they say, met in neighbouring Nasarawa State to collect cash, issue orders and recruit fighters.
Several of the accused are alleged to have supplied AK-47 rifles, provided safe locations for planning and materially supported the gunmen. Prosecutors say the raid torched homes and inflicted heavy casualties in Yelwata, which lies in Guma district of Benue.
Context
Benue is in Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt — a long-running fault line between the predominantly Muslim north and largely Christian south — where disputes over land, religion and ethnicity have fuelled repeated outbreaks of violence. Authorities have struggled to contain attacks in rural areas, and the government faces mounting pressure to restore security.
The case comes amid heightened international scrutiny after U.S. President Donald Trump last year accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians. U.S. forces said they carried out strikes they described as targeting terrorists on December 25; Nigerian authorities say they are cooperating with Washington on security efforts.
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by William Maclean)
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