By Our Reporter, With Agency Reports
AS THE Federal High Court in Abuja admitted an AK-47 rifle as evidence in the trial of nine suspected terrorists linked to the June 2025 Yelwata massacre that left at least 150 people dead, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has concurrently declared a decisive war against insecurity, vowing to “crush” all perpetrators and restore lasting peace to the state.
The developments on Monday highlight a two-pronged approach to tackling the state’s security challenges: judicial prosecution of past atrocities and a reinforced military strategy to prevent future attacks.
Court Proceedings: AK-47 and Naira Notes Admitted as Evidence in Yelwata Trial
At the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted an AK-47 rifle recovered from one of the defendants as evidence in the ongoing trial of the nine men accused of orchestrating the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata Village in Guma LGA.
The rifle was tendered by the first prosecution witness, Moses Paul, a senior officer with the Nigeria Police Force’s Intelligence Response Unit, through the Federal Government’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
In a startling revelation, the witness testified that the firearm had naira notes inserted into it, explaining that it is the perpetrators’ belief that “if you put money in an AK-47, it will answer.”
The judge admitted the rifle as “Exhibit A” and the accompanying naira notes as “Exhibits C1 to C5.”
A ballistic report, which confirmed the weapon was “recently used and active,” was also admitted as “Exhibit B” by the court, despite objections from some defence lawyers who argued it required certification.
During the proceedings, the witness provided a chilling account of the events leading to the massacre. He testified that the attacks were a direct consequence of a revenge mission stemming from the state’s anti-grazing law.
The witness alleged that the 3rd defendant, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, and the 2nd defendant, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, both claimed to have lost family members and cattle to previous clashes.
According to the testimony, the 1st defendant, Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, the chief of Fulanis in Nasarawa State, convened a meeting where all Ardos were instructed to organise their communities for an attack and contribute financially.
A subsequent meeting identified Yelwata, Daudu, and Udeyi as targets, with Yelwata ultimately being chosen. The witness claimed Haruna Abdullahi led the attack and that Muhammadu Saidu confessed to personally killing eight people during the assault, using an AK-47 rifle.
The court heard that the defendants contributed sums of ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 towards the planning of the attack.
Defence lawyers, however, raised concerns, alleging that their clients were being intimidated in custody by police seeking to influence their statements.
In response, Justice Abdulmalik ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the defendants’ statements, scheduled to begin on March 13.
Governor Vows to ‘Crush Insecurity’
In a parallel development on Monday, Governor Hyacinth Alia received a briefing on the successful deployment and reinforcement of security personnel to troubled areas, particularly in Kwande and other affected local government areas.
In a statement released by his Technical Adviser on Media, Mr Solomon Iorpev, the governor described the additional deployment as “only the beginning of a decisive clampdown on insecurity.” He declared that his administration would not rest until absolute peace is achieved.
“This is contained in a statement on Monday in Makurdi… The governor made the declaration while receiving briefing on the successful deployment and reinforcement of security personnel to troubled areas in Kwande and other affected local governments in the state,” the statement read.
Governor Alia warned those behind the violence, asserting his commitment to bringing them to justice. “Let this be a warning to all perpetrators of insecurity: Gov. Alia will not be intimidated. I will not be deterred. I will crush insecurity in Benue State,” he declared and assured the people of the state that his government is working tirelessly to ensure their safety.
