A federal forensic team exhumed 105 bodies from 13 mass graves in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area, between February 24 and 26, 2026.
The operation strengthens evidence in the ongoing prosecution of nine terrorism suspects linked to the devastating June 13, 2025 attack that claimed over 150 lives.
Led by Prof. Saad Ahmed from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the team collaborated with the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), the Presidential Medical Delegation, and Benue State Emergency Management Agency officials.
Security forces provided tight protection throughout the process. Investigators identified grave sites on February 23 before beginning exhumations the next day, recovering seven bodies initially.
Teams continued the work over the following two days, ultimately retrieving the full count of 105 remains for forensic analysis, identification, and autopsies.
The exhumation directly supports the federal case against the nine suspects, whom prosecutors arraigned on February 2, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Authorities charged the men with 57 terrorism-related counts, including planning meetings, fundraising, weapon procurement, and mobilizing fighters across states in the months leading up to the assault.
Terrorists stormed Yelwata on the night of June 13, 2025, wielding AK-47 rifles, machetes, and fuel.
They torched homes, trapped families inside burning structures, and slaughtered residents in a coordinated raid that lasted hours.
Survivors described scenes of horror as attackers targeted a farming village already sheltering internally displaced persons at a local Catholic mission.
Estimates of the death toll range from 100 to over 200, with thousands displaced amid the destruction of livelihoods and property.
The brutal attack highlighted persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where farmer-herder tensions and land disputes fuel cycles of violence.
Nigerian authorities responded by launching investigations, arresting suspects, and initiating legal proceedings.
Court officials stressed the critical role of forensic evidence in delivering justice and determining culpability fairly.
Communities in Benue continue to demand accountability and lasting security measures.
The recovered remains now move to detailed forensic examination, offering families potential closure while bolstering the terrorism prosecution.
Authorities promise further updates as the investigation progresses toward trial.
