Trial over Yelewata massacre adjourns as defendant collapses in court

Proceedings successful the ongoing proceedings implicit the Yelewata massacre were connected Tuesday abruptly halted aft 1 of the defendants, Haruna Abdullahi, collapsed successful court, forcing the justice to adjourn the lawsuit to let for urgent aesculapian attention.

The accused persons are lasting proceedings implicit the deadly onslaught connected Yelewata assemblage successful Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which reportedly claimed astir 150 lives.

The 9 defendants are facing 57 terrorism-related charges and person each pleaded not guilty.

The disruption occurred during a trial-within-trial aimed astatine determining whether the defendants’ confessional statements were obtained voluntarily.

Shortly aft the defendants were brought into court, Abdullahi, identified arsenic the 3rd defendant, abruptly slumped and remained unresponsive contempt efforts by situation officials to revive him.

The proceedings judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, observed that the suspect could not beryllium considered contiguous successful court, having remained unconscious for implicit an hour.

Defence counsel, Ahmed M...