Nine men accused of complicity in the June attacks that killed and displaced residents in Yelwata, Benue State, and parts of Plateau, were on Wednesday arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suspects were charged separately with terrorism-related offences, unlawful possession of firearms, and assisting violent groups. Two of them, Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi, were specifically alleged to have conspired with others still at large to execute the June 13 assaults on Abinsi and Yelwata communities.
All defendants pleaded not guilty. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered their remand in DSS custody pending trial and fixed hearings for October 2 and 17.
In a related development, the DSS filed new charges against alleged arms trafficker Huzaifa Ahamad Haruna, said to have been caught with seven M16 assault rifles.
