Details have emerged on the killing of Benue State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Muhammad, with his family alleging that he was ambushed and assassinated shortly after attending a police-arranged peace meeting.

The family raised questions over the circumstances that led to his final journey. Muhammad was reportedly gunned down on Friday afternoon, while returning home after honouring the police invitation for a peace meeting between herders and farming communities of Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.

Narrating the events leading to his father’s death, Muhammad Idris, Ardo’s eldest son, said his father had, on Friday morning, informed the family that he was heading for Idekpa in Ohimini LGA following an invitation by the Divisional Police Officer for the peace meeting.

According to him, what was expected to be a routine dialogue ended in tragedy after unidentified attackers allegedly trailed and killed the MACBAN leader and his associate, Yakubu Isah, while they were returning home.

“On Friday morning, I greeted my late father, Ardo Risku Muhammad, who informed me that he had been invited to a meeting by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohimini Local Government Area, scheduled to hold at Idekpa. He initially intended to travel in his car but later opted for a motorcycle due to the poor state of the road, noting that it would be easier and faster. He arranged for his associate, Mr. Yakubu Isah, to convey him on a motorcycle.

“He departed in the company of two other Fulani leaders, Alhaji Muazu and Alhaji Gudel, who were also on separate motorcycles. According to Alhaji Muazu, upon arrival at the Divisional Police Station, my father was surprised to discover that only the DPO and a few elderly men who claimed to be from Awule and Alulu communities were present. This was contrary to what the DPO had earlier communicated to him, that the chairman of Ohimini LGA and His Royal Highness, the Ado of Ohimini, would be in attendance.

“When my father inquired about their absence, the DPO responded that it was not an issue and that they would be notified of any outcome. The agenda of the meeting raised further concerns. The DPO stated that there were complaints of cattle destroying farms in the two communities present. My father responded that such a matter did not warrant his physical presence and could have been resolved via phone. He requested that the complainants fix a date so he could engage the Fulani herders concerned to assess the alleged damage and reach an amicable settlement,” Idris recalled.

He said the second issue raised at the meeting, based on Alhaji Muazu’s account, was that members of the said communities were afraid to approach Fulani settlements to report grievances and wanted my father to facilitate a meeting to foster better understanding.

He said when his father asked for a specific date for such a meeting, the DPO assured him that he would be informed once the communities decided on a date.

“And the meeting ended. Alhaji Muazu and Alhaji Gudel departed immediately after the meeting, while my father and Yakubu Isah remained behind in friendly discussion with the DPO.

“On their way back home, Alhaji Muazu reported sighting a Hilux van with tinted glasses. The occupants reportedly wound down to observe them but allowed them to pass without incident. We strongly believe that the said Hilux van was positioned to target my father and Mr. Yakubu Isah, who were both ambushed and killed shortly afterward.

“The attack occurred at approximately 2:00 PM, about 2 to 3 kilometers away from Ohimini, local government area at Okwudu in Otukpo Local Government Area. My late father, Ardo Risku Muhammad, was not only a Fulani man but a community leader who was always available to promote peace and resolve conflicts between herders and farmers,” Idris explained.

The family called on the Benue State Government, the Nigeria Police Force and all relevant security agencies to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into “the circumstances leading to the ambush and killing of Ardo Risku Muhammad and Yakubu Isah.”

The family also demanded an explanation on why a high-risk meeting “was convened without adequate security measures or the presence of key stakeholders previously mentioned and to ensure that justice is served and that such a tragic incident does not repeat itself.”

‘It was an orchestrated criminal act’

At a press conference held in Makurdi, the nine LG chairmen of Idoma land, alongside the Special Adviser on Internal Security to Governor Hyacinth Alia, expressed surprise over the murder of the MACBAN chairman and vowed to unravel those behind the dastardly act.

The chairman of Ohimini LGA, Gabriel Adole, said he was away from the state when the incident happened. According to him, the meeting followed complaints from Awule community that some Fulani herders were preventing farmers from accessing their farmlands.

He explained that he advised the community to report the matter to the police, after which the DPO invited both parties for dialogue.

Adole admitted that neither he nor any traditional ruler attended the meeting, but insisted that Ardo enjoyed cordial relations with the people of Ohimini, describing the killing as an orchestrated criminal act.

He appealed to the Fulani community to remain calm and allow security agencies to conclude their investigation.

“A community in my LG came to me and complained that the Fulani herders were not allowing them access to their farms. I advised them to channel their grievances to the police. So the DPO summoned both parties – the Awule community and the Fulani – to a meeting. They had the meeting, no chief was in attendance, and I was away. The Ardo that we know is like a family in Ohimini LGA. It’s the only LG where Ardo rides a bicycle from one place to the other. So we have a very good relationship.

“Now, coming to my LG and after the meeting, the sad incident happened. This plan is an orchestrated one. It was not done by my local government or any Idoma-speaking person. We want to beg the Fulani community and the MACBAN that they should allow us to go deeply into the investigation with security operatives to unravel this situation. We want to condole with the entire family and the Fulani community. We pray that the Almighty God will help us to bring those behind this heinous crime to book,” the chairman said.

His counterpart from Otukpo LGA, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, said criminal elements were behind the act and assured that they would work with security operatives to apprehend the criminals.

‘Criminals must be exposed’

Also, the chairman of Agatu LGA, James Melvin Ejeh, appealed for time to enable security operatives to fish out the killers of the slain leader. Ejeh, who condemned the killing, described Ardo as a peace-loving leader who worked tirelessly to foster peaceful coexistence in Benue.

He insisted that the attack should not be attributed to the people of Ohimini, Otukpo or the Idoma nation, but to criminal elements determined to derail the peace achieved in recent months.

Ejeh urged security agencies to ensure the killers were arrested, prosecuted and publicly identified, while cautioning against reprisals that could target innocent people.

He said, “For us in the state, it’s very sad news for criminals to brutally murder a man who is known for peace as seen by everybody; the man who had committed to peace and development so much in Benue State. For criminals to kill such a man is condemnable in all human angles and by the entire Zone C. We condole with the family of Ardo Risku and the entire Fulani community worldwide over this killing.

“We also want to state clearly that this is not a calculated action by the Idoma-speaking people of Zone C in Benue State. This is not an action carried out by Ohimini or the people of Otukpo LGA. It was an action carried out by criminal elements who are enemies of peace and enemies of the achievements we have had in the last six months.”

Ejeh appealed to security agencies to go all out to fish out the killers and prosecute them, saying they are tired of the refrain “we will bring culprits to book.”

“The death of Ardo Risku is painful as well as that of every Benue son brutally murdered in our land and we condemn it totally. We appeal to them to allow security agencies time to unravel the circumstances behind it. We are sincerely deeply pained.

“We stand with the family at their point of grief, we stand with every other Benue son that has been killed brutally by criminal elements and we are urging the entire Fulbe nation to give peace a chance and allow security agencies do their work and we are going to support them to ensure that these elements are brought to book and also paraded in full glare of the media by the grace of God,” he added.

Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, described the killing as unfortunate and unacceptable, noting that it occurred at a time Benue had recorded about six months of relative peace.

Har said the late MACBAN chairman was widely known as an advocate of peace and had attended the meeting in good faith.

He appealed to the family, Fulani leaders and supporters of the deceased not to embark on reprisals, stressing that such would only worsen the security situation.

He assured that law enforcement agencies were working to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Police arrest 10 suspects

Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command said it had made significant progress in the investigation, with 10 suspects already in custody.

The command promised that no stone would be left unturned until it unravels the circumstances surrounding the murder of Ardo and his associate, Isah.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, identified the suspects as Titus Thyodenda, Utibe Sam, Owoicho Ameh, Sunday Useni, Sunday Ogbanje, Daniel Raphael, Adokole John, Samuel Ogazi, Agbo Daniel and Onazi James.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, according to the statement, commended tactical operatives for the arrests and assured residents that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other persons connected with the killings.

Nwadiogbu appealed for calm and urged members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information.

When contacted by one of our correspondents on the family’s concern about the absence of several stakeholders during the meeting with the DPO, the PPRO promised to get back, but she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

MACBAN demands justice, urges members to remain calm

The national leadership of MACABAN has vowed to pursue justice over Ardo’s killing, describing the incident as a shocking attack on a peace advocate and warning that it must not be swept under the carpet.

The president of the association, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, said the late chairman had played a critical role in promoting peaceful coexistence between herders and farmers in Benue State.

“The information came to us as a serious shock because we never expected this to happen,” he said.

Ngelzarma described the late chairman as “a peaceful man” who worked tirelessly throughout his tenure to foster understanding despite recurring conflicts in the state.

“Every security agency, every function of government had a lot of confidence in him because whatever happened, he would immediately be there to see what could be done to solve the problem. So this happening is sad, it’s unfortunate.

“This is something that we are not going to take lightly. The association is ready to do all it can to ensure that the perpetrators of this act are brought to book because this lack of accountability is what is further aggravating conflicts in this country.

“He was invited for a security meeting, which he obliged and attended and after the meeting, on his way back home, he was waylaid and killed. So, this sad act must be punished. The perpetrators of this act must be brought to book,” he added.

Ngelzarma urged the Benue State Government to ensure justice is served, saying the association would closely monitor the investigation.

“The governor must do all he can to ensure that justice is done on this matter because we will never let it be swept under the carpet,” he said.

He appealed to members of the association to exercise restraint and avoid reprisals.

“We also have to talk to our members to have restraint because two wrongs do not make a right. Members have to be law-abiding; they have to wait and see what we are going to do as an association,” he said.

He, however, acknowledged that the incident had badly affected the morale of Fulani communities in the state.

“If somebody of this status cannot be spared, who else can be spared in this state? Their morale must definitely be affected because of the calibre of the person involved in this particular crisis,” he said.

To prevent similar attacks, Ngelzarma disclosed that the association would introduce new security measures for its leaders nationwide, including screening invitations before attending meetings.

“Henceforth, when they are invited to meetings, they should send an advance party to go and do an investigation for them. We will never take the chance again to allow our leaders to go to all sorts of meetings,” he stated.

He said MACABAN would convene a meeting of its leadership across the country to adopt fresh security guidelines, lamenting that the Benue chairman was among several state chairmen the association had lost in recent years.

“This is about the third or the fourth chairman we are losing in less than two years. This must serve as a lesson to us to try to be vigilant in whatever we are doing, to try to ensure our security in whatever we do,” he said.

The Plateau State chapter of MACBAN described the murder of the group’s chairman in Benue State as senseless and cruel, calling on security forces to investigate those responsible and bring them to justice.

The state chairman, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, in a statement in Jos, condemned the incident.

“This heartbreaking incident is even more painful considering that only a few weeks earlier, the chairman’s son, Barrister Idris Ardo Risku, and two others were violently attacked while on their way to check on their cattle, resulting in one death and two others sustaining serious injuries. We strongly condemn this senseless act of violence and pray that such tragic incidents will not continue to undermine efforts toward peaceful coexistence and reconciliation.

“We strongly condemn this senseless act of violence and pray that such tragic incidents will not continue to undermine efforts toward peaceful coexistence and reconciliation.

“We pray that Almighty Allah (SWT), in His infinite mercy, forgives the shortcomings of the late Ardo Muhammad Risku and Yakubu, admits them into Jannatul Firdaus, grants their families, the Fulani community of Benue State, and the entire MACBAN family the strength and patience to bear this irreparable loss,” the group said.

Sultan, SGF condemn murder

Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MACBAN, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed grief over the tragic killing of Ardo Risku, and extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, the leadership and members of MACBAN nationwide, as well as the people and government of Benue State.

Sultan, in a statement on Sunday signed by MACBAN National President, described the late Ardo as a courageous advocate of peaceful coexistence who consistently championed reconciliation and constructive engagement in the pursuit of lasting peace in Benue State.

“While mourning this painful loss, the Sultan commended the prompt response of the Benue State Government and security agencies, particularly the arrest of suspects in connection with the murder. He urged the relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive, transparent, and impartial investigation and ensure that every person found culpable is brought to justice in accordance with the law.

“The Sultan appealed to all residents of Benue State and the wider public to remain calm, shun reprisals, and allow the due process of the law to take its course. He emphasized that no grievance should be allowed to undermine public peace or ignite further violence, stressing that justice can only be sustained when pursued through lawful institutions.” the statement added.

Similarly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, also condemned the killing of Ardo and his associate, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Akume, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, described the killings as “reprehensible, unacceptable and a direct assault on the peace, reconciliation and mutual trust” being rebuilt across Benue State.

The SGF urged residents to resist attempts to incite violence or reprisals, insisting that no individual or group should take the law into their own hands.

He extended condolences to the family of the late MACBAN chairman, the association and all those affected by the incident.

Troops foil Benue terror attack

Meanwhile, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), in collaboration with operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard, have killed two suspected terrorists after foiling an attack ON Tor Donga Yam Market in Kastina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

The operation, which took place on Sunday during fighting and confidence-building patrols, followed a distress call on the presence of terrorists at the market.

Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, said the troops swiftly mobilised to the scene and engaged the suspects in a gun battle.

He said two suspected terrorists, identified as Dantaraba and Golozo, were neutralised during the exchange of fire.

Zubairu disclosed that troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 magazine, one damaged pistol, one pistol magazine, six rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, nine rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition, one ATM card, one ATM card and other sundry items from the suspects.

He said the operation thwarted what could have been a deadly attack on traders and residents, allowing commercial activities at the Tor Donga Yam Market to continue without disruption.

Meanwhile, the Force Commander, Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops for their professionalism, resilience and swift response in preventing what could have resulted in heavy civilian casualties.

He also hailed the Benue State Civil Protection Guard for its collaboration with the military in the fight against criminality in the state.

Gara expressed appreciation to members of the public for providing timely and credible information, urging residents to sustain their cooperation with security agencies, stressing that security remains a collective responsibility. (Daily Trust, but headline reworked)