A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday admitted in evidence a Department of State Services, DSS, report alleging that some Agatu leaders in Benue State stockpiled grenades and ammunition for planned retaliatory attacks against Fulani cattle herders.
The court also admitted grenades, ammunition and an audio-visual recording of the interrogation of one of the suspects, Silas Oloche, who is identified as an Agatu youth leader.
Oloche is standing trial on a six-count charge bordering on the alleged unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
At the opening of proceedings, the prosecution’s first witness, a DSS operative identified only by the codename XX, told the court that Oloche was arrested on August 2, 2025, in Ogbasi, Agatu Local Government Area, allegedly in possession of 18 hand grenades, 683 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, 62 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammunition, and 136 live shotgun cartridges.
The witness, attached to the DSS Security Investigation Department, said the defendant was later transferred from the Benue State Command to the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja for further investigation.
According to the witness, Oloche was interviewed in the presence of officials of the Legal Aid Council and allegedly confessed to purchasing the ammunition from a man identified as “Chocho” for more than N2 million.
The DSS operative further told the court that the defendant made a written statement and consented to the witness writing on his behalf because he could not write.
During an open-court playback of the video recording of Oloche’s extra-judicial statement, the defendant spoke of years of violent attacks on Agatu communities, which he blamed on Fulani herders.
In the video, Oloche said the crisis dated back to 2013 and stemmed from repeated attacks on farmlands and communities. He also recounted a series of meetings involving government officials, traditional rulers, security agencies and representatives of Fulani communities in Kogi, Benue and Nasarawa states aimed at resolving the conflict.
He said agreements were reached for herders to vacate occupied farmlands in Agatu communities, but alleged that those terms were repeatedly breached and that cattle continued to destroy crops.
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Oloche further stated in the video that frustration grew within Agatu communities over what he described as repeated attacks and the lack of government intervention.
He told investigators that he led efforts to raise funds for the purchase of ammunition after allegedly receiving intelligence that Fulani groups were planning another round of attacks.
The defendant admitted in the video to obtaining ammunition and keeping it in his house, but said they had not yet acquired guns before DSS operatives arrested him.
He also said Agatu communities had planned to retaliate against attacks by Fulani herders, but were constrained by insufficient ammunition and firearms.
According to him, displaced villagers and bereaved families contributed money for the purchase of arms after recovering bodies from attacked communities.
Following the playback, the prosecution sought to tender the defendant’s extra-judicial statement in evidence.
However, defence counsel Noah Imoni objected to its admissibility, arguing that the statement was not made voluntarily.
In response, the prosecution asked the court to conduct a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statement was voluntarily obtained.
The trial judge subsequently ordered a trial-within-trial and reserved ruling on an application for variation of bail to a later date.
The case was adjourned until July 8 for the commencement of the trial-within-trial and continuation of hearing.
Earlier, on March 31, the same court had begun the trial of nine suspected members of a Fulani militia over the killing of more than 100 persons in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
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