Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has received forensic pathologists from the Federal Ministry of Justice, deployed to Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of the state, to gather forensic evidence from the gruesome massacre of hundreds of people last year.

Thousands of survivors of the attack are still wallowing in penury in designated Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps lacking basic amenities of life.

This development comes as the Federal Government of Nigeria arraigned nine suspects on February 2, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The court had emphasised the need for forensic evidence to ensure a fair trial and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Governor Alia, who was represented by the Director General, Homeland Security, Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (rtd), and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yangien Ornguga, assured the forensic team of maximum cooperation as they carry out their work, which is expected to last for a period of one week.

Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media, Publicity, and Strategic Communication, Solomon Iorpev, in a statement, said “the government is committed to working with all stakeholders to uncover the truth behind the Yelewata community attack.

He said the move is also to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice, urged all citizens to remain calm and support the efforts of the government to ensure justice is served.