DSS files terrorism charges over Yelwata, Plateau massacres
By Zagazola Makama
The Department of State Services (DSS), has dragged nine suspects before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over their alleged roles in recent deadly attacks on Yelwata village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and in parts of Plateau State.
The Department of State Services (DSS), which carried out the arrests, said the coordinated attacks left more than 40 people dead, dozens injured and hundreds displaced across the affected communities.
The killings in Benue and Plateau had sparked national outrage and prompted President Bola Tinubu to pay a condolence visit to Benue, where he appealed to the people to “learn to live in peace” while assuring them that security agencies would fish out the perpetrators.
Court documents sighted by Zagazola show that the charges cut across ethnic and religious lines, reflecting the complexity of the violence in North Central Nigeria.
Two suspects, Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi of Awe Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, were accused of plotting and executing the Yelwata attack in concert with others still at large.
The DSS alleged that the men conspired with Musa Beniyon, Bako Malowa, Ibrahim Tunga, Asara Ahnadu, Legu Musa, Adamu Yale, Boddi Ayuba and Pyeure Damina, to unleash terror on Abinsi and Yelwata villages on June 13 and 14.
The charges, filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr Muhammad Abubakar, said their actions contravened Sections 12 and 29 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
Two other men, Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede of Guma LGA, Benue State, were charged for alleged reprisal attacks. They were accused of conspiring in July to procure AK-47 rifles and locally made guns to carry out terrorism acts that led to the destruction of property and loss of cattle in Ukpam village.
The DSS also filed a four-count terrorism charge against 32-year-old Halima Haliru Umar of Faskari LGA, Katsina State. She was accused of transporting 302 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition to bandits and concealing vital information about a suspected gunrunner, Alhaji Sani.
Her alleged actions, according to the DSS, violated Sections 6 and 13 of the Terrorism Prevention Act.
Other defendants included a 75-year-old man, Nanbol Tali, and one Timnan Manjo, both from Plateau State, accused of illegally buying and selling AK-47 rifles and revolvers. Another suspect, Danjuma Antu of Jos North, was charged with unlawful possession of two locally fabricated pistols.
Perhaps the most serious charge was filed against Silas Iduh Oloche of Agatu LGA, Benue State, who was allegedly found with 18 grenades and 683 rounds of live ammunition. The DSS said his offence contravened Section 3 of the Firearms Act and carried severe penalties under Section 27.
The charges pointed to not only the scale of armed violence in the Middle Belt but also the growing involvement of women, elderly men, and ordinary villagers in networks that sustain terrorism.
“The DSS is showing that the violence in Benue and Plateau is not just about farmer-herder clashes. It is about organised terrorism, arms trafficking and criminal syndicates exploiting ethnic tension,” said one Abuja-based security expert who asked not to be named.
Zagazola reports that no trial date has been fixed, but the government is under pressure to fast-track proceedings as communities in Benue and Plateau remain on edge.
For survivors in Yelwata, the memory of the attacks remains raw. Many still live in camps for displaced persons, unsure of when they can return home.
“This is not just about prosecution, but about justice for our people,” said a community elder in Yelwata who spoke by phone. “We hope this trial will send a strong message that the government is serious.”
