KEY POINTS

• The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of nine suspects linked to the 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State to March 9 and 10.
• The adjournment followed a request by a new defence lawyer who said he needed time to study the case after replacing previous counsel.
• The court warned against further delays, stressing the case is of high public interest following the deadly attack that killed many residents and displaced hundreds.

Proceedings in the trial of nine suspects accused of involvement in the 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State were again stalled on Wednesday after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted another adjournment.

The delay followed an appeal by counsel to the eighth and ninth defendants, Y.A. Hassan, who told the court it was his first appearance in the matter.

Hassan explained that he had just taken over the defence and had yet to review the case details because the former lawyer handling the matter had not transferred the case file to him.

He therefore urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable him to properly prepare for the proceedings.

Prosecution Does Not Oppose Adjournement

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the request for adjournment but asked the court to give a short date to ensure the case moves forward quickly.

In her ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the request but cautioned that the court would not tolerate unnecessary delays in a case that has attracted significant public attention.

She noted that the court had already made considerable efforts to accommodate the defence and warned that the trial must proceed without further disruption.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case to March 9 and 10 for a day-to-day trial.

The Federal Government had earlier arraigned the suspects on February 2 before Justice Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The defendants were charged with 57 counts related to the killings in Yelwata community.

When the charges were read to them through an interpreter, all nine suspects pleaded not guilty.

Following their arraignment, the Attorney General of the Federation requested an accelerated hearing, noting that several witnesses were ready to testify in the case.