Proceedings in the ongoing trial over the Yelewata massacre were abruptly halted on Tuesday after one of the defendants, Haruna Abdullahi, collapsed in court, prompting an adjournment to allow for urgent medical attention.
The accused are standing trial for the deadly attack on Yelewata community in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area, an incident that reportedly claimed around 150 lives. Nine defendants face a total of 57 terrorism-related charges and have all pleaded not guilty.
The disruption occurred during a trial-within-trial session aimed at determining whether the defendants’ confessional statements were obtained voluntarily. Shortly after being brought into court, Abdullahi, the third defendant, suddenly slumped and remained unresponsive despite efforts by prison officials to revive him.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, presiding over the case, observed that the defendant could not be considered present in court after remaining unconscious for over an hour. Defence counsel, Ahmed Mohammad, requested an adjournment to allow Abdullahi to receive urgent medical care. The request was supported by other defence lawyers and did not face opposition from the prosecution.
Following the incident, the court adjourned the matter to March 30 and 31, directing that notices be served on any absent defence counsel.
Earlier in the proceedings, a police witness told the court that the attackers allegedly planned the assault in neighbouring Nasarawa State and were armed with rifles, providing crucial context to the severity of the incident.
The case has attracted nationwide attention due to the scale of the attack and the ongoing judicial scrutiny of terrorism-related offences in Nigeria. The trial-within-trial is expected to continue after the next adjourned dates, focusing on the admissibility of confessional statements and other evidence submitted by the prosecution.
