Again, trial of nine in alleged Yelwata massacre stalls over absence of interpreter

The trial of nine suspected terrorists linked with the June 2025 Yelwata killings was, on Tuesday, stalled following the inability of the prosecution to provide an interpreter to orally translate English to Hausa for the defendants’ understanding.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendants are being prosecuted on alleged terrorism offences before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

They were alleged to have carried out the terror attack on June 13, 2025, in Yelwata town in Benue, where many houses were burnt down and about 150 people were massacred, while others sustained various degrees of injuries.

The suspects are Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono, Ardo Muhammadu Saidu, and Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi.

The rest are Yakubu Adamu, Musa Mohammed, Abubakar Adamu, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sale Mohammed, and Bako Jibrin.

They, however, denied all 57 counts of the charge preferred against them.

The case was called on Tuesday for the prosecution to play the video evidence containing the defendants’ confessional statements.

Although the prosecution and defence lawyers, including the witness, were in court, there was no interpreter in court.

Maryam Okorie, who appeared for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), however, apologised to the court for the absence of an interpreter to interpret proceedings in Hausa.

She applied that the matter be stood down to make an arrangement for an interpreter, but Justice Abdulmalik declined to grant her request.

The judge said that Okorie, having failed to produce an interpreter for her case, the matter would be adjourned at the instance of the prosecution.

Justice Abdulmalik fixed April 16 and April 17 for the continuation of the trial.

An interpreter was, on Monday, discharged by the judge after Ahmed Muhammad, who appeared for the 3rd defendant, raised concerns over the accuracy of the interpretation.

Muhammad alleged that the interpretation of the Hausa language video recordings of the defendants’ confessional statements being played in open court was defective.

Justice Abdulmalik discharged the interpreter, adjourned the matter until March 31, and ordered the prosecution to provide another interpreter before the next adjournment.

NAN reports that the trial had also, on March 24, stalled after one of the defendants fainted in court.

In count one of the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/471/2025, the defendants and others still at large were alleged to have, sometime between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, knowingly and directly participated in meetings in connection with the commission of an act of terrorism.

They were said to have planned the attack on Yelwata Community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue and subsequently carried it out on June 13, 2025, resulting in the burning of houses, grievous bodily harm, and the death of approximately 150 persons.

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under the same section.

In count 25, Dono (1st defendant) was alleged to have, between May and June 2025 in Nasarawa State, “instigated and instructed other chiefs and Fulani youths in Nasarawa State, Kwara, Taraba, Giza, and other surrounding villages to carry out an attack on Yelwata Community” on June 13, 2025.

Authorities said 150 persons died.

The offence is contrary to Section 26(2)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under the same Act, among other counts. (NAN)

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