Eleven Herdsmen Arraigned for Terrorism and Banditry in Benue

Eleven herdsmen were arraigned on Thursday at a Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly terrorizing communities in Benue State. The court ordered that the men be remanded at the Correctional Centre in Makurdi. The accused, identified as Nanzir Ishaya, Suleiman Umaru, Yakubu Mallam, Dauda Abdulkarim, Manu Buhari, Haruna Abdulkarim, Ibrahim Mallam, Yunusa Waziri, Idi Usman, Adamu Manu, and Abdullahi Wakili, all reside in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.

They face charges including criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms, acts of terrorism, open grazing, and possession of suspected stolen cattle. The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Kelvin Mbanongun, did not take their pleas due to lack of jurisdiction and adjourned the case to July 7, 2025, for further mention.

According to prosecutor Inspector Godwin Ato, on June 1, a police team from Operation Zenda received credible intelligence about armed bandits allied with a notorious leader, Amakaa Akwaza, hiding in Nugu village with weapons. Security forces, including Operation Zenda and Benue State Civil Protection Guards led by Inspector Donald Ahulu, engaged the suspects in a gun battle. The operation led to some bandits fleeing, but security personnel recovered an AK-47 rifle and 16 rounds of live ammunition.

Ten suspects were arrested while loading cattle believed to be stolen into a Mercedes Benz truck and grazing others openly nearby. Further investigation resulted in the arrest of Abdullahi Wakili, the chief of the Fulani community in Katsina-Ala, who is accused of collaborating with Akwaza to supply arms to the herdsmen terrorizing the region.

The defendants are being prosecuted under sections of the Robbery and Firearms Act (2004), the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue (2017), and the Penal Code Laws of Benue (2004).