On Thursday, the Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court remanded six farmers in custody, for allegedly attacking and killing a resident, Kashimana Yayough.
The court did not take pleas from the defendants due to lack of jurisdiction.
The defendants were charged with criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms, mischief, culpable homicide and terrorism.
The Chief Magistrate, Kelvin Mbanongun adjourned the matter until June 4 for mention.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Godwin Ato, told the court that the case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Tarka, to the State CID, Makurdi, via a letter.
Ato said that the letter stated that, on March 12, armed men in their numbers with dangerous weapons such as guns, cutlasses, daggers and sticks invaded the residence of Aondoakaa Yayough, behind the INEC office, Wannune and shot his wife dead.
“The letter also stated that the armed men set Mr Yayough’s four-bed room flat ablaze, thereby destroying property worth millions of naira,” the prosecutor said.
He added that the defendants damaged Mr Yayough’s Peugeot 406.
Mr Ato said the defendants were arrested during the police investigation.
The prosecutor said three GPMG ammunition and two expended cartridges were recovered from the defendants at the time of their arrest.
He said the offences contravened sections 6{b) and 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act of 2004, Sections 329, 337 and 222 of the Penal Code of Benue, 2004, and Section 4(2) of the Abduction, Hostage Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Laws of Benue, 2017.
