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A viral Facebook post by Ukan Kurugh has publicly identified Ardo Lawal Mohammed as the alleged mastermind behind the June 13, 2025, massacre in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 150 residents were reportedly killed.
In the lengthy post shared on February 27, 2026, the author described the suspect as “the face of a dare devil” and accused him of orchestrating the genocidal attack that involved gunshots, gruesome slaughter, burning of houses and food barns, and the slitting open of pregnant women’s stomachs. The post further claimed Ardo Lawal Mohammed was involved in an earlier April 2023 attack in Mgban and Nyiev communities in Guma LGA, where 36 people—including children—were killed inside a classroom block where they had sought refuge.
The writer alleged that the suspect owns a Toyota vehicle with tinted glasses, which he used to conduct reconnaissance and mapping of potential attack sites in areas such as Daudu, Makurdi, and Gwer West. He was accused of making no distinction between targets—children, the elderly, churches, markets, or family homes—and of operating from Lafia in Nasarawa State as a safe haven and operational base, similar to Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon.
The post also claimed Ardo Lawal Mohammed suffered a stroke while in detention and likened his alleged actions to extreme wickedness, comparing him to figures like Lucifer and Hamas leaders. It ended with strong emotive language condemning him and other “Ardos” for what the author described as systematic destruction of Tiv and Christian farmlands with the intent of takeover.
The allegations in the post align with ongoing court proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where nine defendants—including Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono—are standing trial on a 57-count charge bordering on terrorism. A prosecution witness, CSP Moses Paul of the Intelligence Response Unit, recently testified that some defendants confessed to attending planning meetings convened by Fulani chiefs in Nasarawa State, with funds raised to execute revenge attacks over perceived grievances.
No official confirmation or denial has been issued by the Benue State Government, security agencies, or the court regarding the specific claims in the social media post. The matter remains highly sensitive amid the broader farmer-herder conflict in Benue, and public commentary continues to polarise opinions on the nature and perpetrators of the violence.
