The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned nine prime suspects before the Federal High Court in Abuja in connection with the recent wave of bloodshed in Benue and Plateau States.
The arraignment, which took place on Wednesday, also saw the secret police charge a suspected gunrunner found with seven M16 rifles.
Among those in the dock are Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi, both from Awe LGA in Nasarawa State, who face a four-count charge over their alleged roles in the June 13, 2025 killings in Abinsi and Yelewata villages, Guma LGA, Benue State. Authorities say the duo acted in concert with others still at large.
Two other suspects, Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede, both from Guma LGA, are being tried on a three-count charge for alleged reprisal attacks, including the destruction of property and the loss of 12 cattle in Ukpam village.
Separately, 32-year-old Halima Haliru Umar of Faskari LGA, Katsina State, faces a four-count charge for allegedly withholding vital intelligence on Alhaji Sani, a notorious suspected gunrunner, kidnapper, and bandit.
The DSS also filed a six-count charge against Silas Iduh Oloche from Agatu LGA, Benue State, for unlawful possession of 18 firearms—including grenades—without a licence, an offence punishable under Section 27 of the Firearms Act.
In Plateau State, 75-year-old Nanbol Tali and Timnan Manjo were arraigned on a four-count charge for allegedly trading two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles worth N3 million without a licence. Similarly, 62-year-old Danjuma Antu of Jos North LGA was slammed with a five-count charge for illegal possession of pistols and 9mm-calibre firearms.
A Trail of Bloodshed
The arraignments come on the heels of repeated deadly raids that have devastated communities in Benue and Plateau, leaving hundreds dead and forcing thousands to abandon their homes.
On June 24, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun confirmed that 28 suspects had been arrested over the Yelwata massacre in Benue, an attack that drew the ire of President Bola Tinubu during his condolence visit to the state.
At a tense stakeholders’ meeting, President Tinubu berated the police for failing to promptly apprehend the perpetrators, even as he ordered an intensified manhunt.
The June 13 coordinated onslaught on Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma LGA left over 200 people dead, including displaced persons and local farmers, in one of the bloodiest episodes of the year.
