The Federal High Court in Abuja has heard explosive testimony in the trial of Silas Oloche, a community youth leader from Benue State, who is facing six counts bordering on unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
A Department of State Services (DSS) operative, codenamed XX, testified that Oloche was arrested on August 2, 2025, in Ogbasi, Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. Items recovered from him included 18 hand grenades, 683 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, 62 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammunition, and 136 live rounds of shotgun ammunition.
The witness told the court that Oloche allegedly confessed to purchasing the ammunition from a man identified as “Chocho” for over ₦2 million, with the intention of mobilizing for a planned retaliation against Fulani herders following recurring attacks on Agatu communities.
In a video recording of his extra-judicial statement played in court, Oloche identified himself as the youth leader of Agatu and narrated years of violent attacks on his community dating back to 2013. He claimed the mobilization was in response to frustration over unaddressed attacks, destroyed farmlands, and ignored peace agreements.
The defence, led by counsel Noah Imoni, objected to the admissibility of the statement, alleging it was not voluntarily obtained and that the defendant was subjected to beatings and torture during interrogation. The prosecution urged the court to conduct a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statement.
Justice Joyce Abdumaliki ordered a trial-within-trial, which is scheduled to commence on July 8, alongside the continuation of the main trial. The court also reserved ruling on an application by the defence to vary Oloche’s bail conditions.
The case continues to attract attention due to its links with the long-standing herder-farmer conflicts in Benue State.
