MAKURDI, Nigeria – A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Makurdi, Benue State, has ordered the remand of six farmers implicated in a brutal attack that resulted in the death of Mrs. Kashimana Yayough.
The incident, which has shocked the local community, occurred in the Tarka Local Government Area, specifically within the Asunkunya/Wanune vicinity, of the North Central region of Nigeria.
The accused face multiple charges including criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms, mischief, culpable homicide, and acts of terrorism, illustrating the severe nature of their alleged actions.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Kelvin Mbanongun, highlighted the gravity of the situation by refusing to take the defendants’ pleas, citing the court’s lack of jurisdiction over such a grave matter.
This case was escalated to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Makurdi following a directive from the Divisional Police Headquarters in Tarka.
According to Inspector Godwin Ato, the case against the accused was substantiated by evidence of a violent invasion at the residence of Mr. Aondoakaa Yayough on March 12.
The attackers, armed with guns, cutlasses, daggers, and sticks, not only fatally shot Mr. Yayough’s wife but also set their four-bedroom flat on fire, causing extensive property damage.
“The letter also stated that the armed men set Yayough’s four-bed room flat ablaze, thereby destroying property worth millions of naira,” Inspector Ato conveyed, underlining the havoc wreaked by the assailants.
Additionally, the prosecutor mentioned that the defendants were implicated further by the damage to Mr. Yayough’s Peugeot 406 during the assault.
The arrest of the defendants was a result of diligent police investigations, which also led to the recovery of three GPMG ammunition and two expended cartridges, linking them directly to the crime scene.
The charges against the accused are supported by various sections of the law, including the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act of 2004 and the Penal Code of Benue, 2004, as well as the Abduction, Hostage Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Laws of Benue, 2017.
The matter has been adjourned until June 4, when it is expected to be mentioned again, as the community and the victims’ families await justice for the heinous crimes committed.
