By TAIYE AGBAJE

A Department of State Services (DSS)’ witness on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how grenades and ammunition were recovered from Silas Oloche, a Benue community youth leader.

The witness, identified as XX for security reasons, told Justice Ekerete Akpan while being led in evidence-in-chief by the prosecution lawyer, Calistus Eze, in the trial of Oloche.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant is being prosecuted on a six-count charge bordering on alleged unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The witness, the first prosecution witness (PW-1), told the court that Oloche allegedly mobilised ammunition for a planned retaliation against Fulani herders following recurring attacks in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue.

He said the defendant was arrested on Aug. 2, 2025, in Ogbasi, Agatu LGA, 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 rounds of shotgun ammunition.

The PW-1, attached to the DSS’ Investigation Department, said the defendant was subsequently transferred from the Benue State Command to the DSS National Headquarters in Abuja for further investigation.

According to the witness, Oloche was interviewed in the presence of a Legal Aid counsel and allegedly confessed to purchasing the ammunition from a man identified as “Chocho” for over N2 million.

He further told the court that the defendant volunteered a written statement and consented to him writing it on his behalf because he could not write.

Justice Akpan admitted the investigation report, the defendant’s written statement, the recovered ammunition and grenades, as well as an audio-visual recording of the interrogation as evidence after they were tendered by the prosecution.

Oloche, in a video recording of his extra-judicial statement played in the open court, narrated years of violent attacks on Agatu communities by Fulani herders.

He identified himself as the youth leader of Agatu.

Oloche said the crisis dated back to 2013, arising from repeated attacks on farmlands and their communities.

He enumerated series of meetings allegedly held with government officials, traditional rulers, security agencies and Fulani representatives in Kogi, Benue, and Nasarawa State aimed at resolving the conflict.

According to him, agreements reached for the herders to vacate occupied farmlands were repeatedly ignored, while crops continued to be destroyed by cattle.

The defendant in the video stated that frustration grew within the community following what he described as repeated attacks and lack of government intervention.

He told the investigator in the video that he mobilised to gather funds to purchase ammunition after allegedly receiving information that Fulani groups were prepared for confrontation.

Oloche admitted obtaining ammunition and keeping it in his house but claimed they had not yet acquired guns before security operatives arrested him.

He further stated that the community intended to retaliate against attacks but could not proceed because they lacked sufficient ammunition and firearms.

According to him, he was given money by displaced villagers and grieving families after retrieving bodies from attacked communities.

He also alleged that repeated appeals were made to authorities without intervention, which he said fuelled anger and thoughts of retaliation within the community.

The prosecution lawyer, Eze, then applied to tender the defendant’s extra-judicial statement.

However, defence counsel, Noah Imoni, objected to its admissibility, arguing that the statement was not voluntarily obtained.

The defence alleged that the defendant was beaten, tortured and traumatised during interrogation, while also questioning the role of the Legal Aid lawyer present during the interview.

In response, Eze, who vehemently disagreed with Imoni’s submission, urged the court to conduct a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statement was voluntarily made.

Justice Akpan subsequently ordered a trial-within-trial and adjourned until July 8 for trial-within-trial.

Earlier in the proceedings, the defence lawyer had urged the court to vary the defendant’s bail conditions.

Imoni argued that the requirement for two sureties resident within the Federal Capital Territory with fully developed property in Abuja metropolis was too stringent.

But Eze opposed the application, insisting that the nature of the allegations and proof of evidence before the court justified the existing conditions.

The judge then reserved ruling on the bail variation application to a date to be communicated to parties. (NAN)

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