Nigeria has filed 57 terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of planning and executing a June 2025 attack in Benue state that killed about 150 people.
Prosecutors told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the group held planning meetings, raised funds, procured weapons, and mobilised fighters across multiple states before striking Yelwata in Benue’s Guma district on 13 June.
Officials describe it as one of the deadliest rural assaults in years, with homes torched and heavy casualties reported.
The filing names Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono as the ringleader, alleging he and his associates gathered in neighbouring Nasarawa state to raise cash, issue orders, and recruit fighters.
Several defendants are accused of supplying AK-47 rifles or offering locations for planning sessions.
The case unfolds as Nigeria struggles to contain violence in the Middle Belt, where disputes over land, religion, and ethnicity persist.
The security backdrop has grown more complex since U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Abuja for failing to protect Christians, a charge that increased scrutiny on Nigeria’s response mechanisms.
On 25 December, U.S. forces struck what they called terrorist targets. Nigerian authorities say they are working with Washington to strengthen intelligence sharing and restore stability across affected regions.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy says envoys from the United States will be visiting Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate an end to the conflict.
The Trump administration pressured U.S. space companies not to attend a high-profile space summit in Paris organised by French President Emmanuel Macron, prompting a last-minute reshuffle and the cancellation of some planned announcements, according to sources familiar with the matter.
A Russian court on Thursday imposed restrictions on Lida Moniava, the founder of a children’s hospice, who is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
China’s state-owned shipping giant COSCO has used concealed equipment aboard some of its vessels to collect intelligence on military communications near the coastlines of countries including the U.S., according to two senior Trump administration officials.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would block federal funding for universities that boycott Israel, as Republicans push ahead with pro-Israel measures despite growing criticism of the Israeli government over the war in Gaza.
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