How Miyetti Allah Leader, Friend Was Killed After Police-arranged Peace Talks In Benue

The family of the slain Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Muhammad, has called for a thorough investigation into his killing.

Muhammad was reportedly killed on Friday afternoon alongside his associate, Yakubu Isah, while returning from a police-arranged peace meeting in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.

His family alleged that he was ambushed shortly after honouring an invitation by the Divisional Police Officer for a meeting between herders and farming communities.

Narrating the events that led to the killing, Muhammad’s eldest son, Muhammad Idris, said his father informed the family on Friday morning that he had been invited to Idekpa for a peace meeting.

He said the late MACBAN leader initially planned to travel by car but later opted for a motorcycle due to the poor state of the road.

“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 of Ohimini Local Government Area, scheduled to hold at Idekpa,” Idris said.

“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.”

According to him, his father travelled with Yakubu Isah and two other Fulani leaders, Alhaji Muazu and Alhaji Gudel.

Idris said the family became concerned after learning that some expected stakeholders, including the council chairman and the traditional ruler of Ohimini, were absent from the meeting.

He said the DPO reportedly told his father that they would be informed of the outcome.

Idris said the meeting discussed complaints that cattle had destroyed farms in some communities.

According to him, his father suggested that the complainants fix a date for him to meet the herders involved, assess the alleged damage and seek an amicable resolution.

He added that the meeting ended peacefully, but his father and Yakubu Isah stayed behind briefly after others had left.

“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,” Idris said.

“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.”

He said the attack occurred around 2:00pm at Okwudu in Otukpo Local Government Area, about two to three kilometres from Ohimini.

“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.

According to Daily Trust, the family demanded answers on why what it described as a high-risk meeting was convened without adequate security and without the presence of key stakeholders earlier mentioned.

It urged the Benue State Government, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to conduct a transparent investigation and bring those responsible to justice.

At a press conference in Makurdi, the nine local government chairmen in Idoma land, alongside the Special Adviser on Internal Security to Governor Hyacinth Alia, condemned the killing and vowed to support efforts to uncover those behind it.

Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, said he was away from the state when the incident occurred.

He explained that the meeting followed complaints from Awule community that some herders were preventing farmers from accessing their farmlands.

According to him, he advised the community to report the matter to the police, after which the DPO invited both parties for dialogue.

Adole said neither he nor any traditional ruler attended the meeting but insisted that the late MACBAN chairman had cordial relations with the people of Ohimini.

“This plan is an orchestrated one. It was not done by my local government or any Idoma-speaking person,” he said.

“We want to beg the Fulani community and MACBAN that they should allow us to go deeply into the investigation with security operatives to unravel this situation.”

Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, James Melvin Ejeh, described the killing as sad and condemnable.

He said the late MACBAN leader was known for promoting peace and peaceful coexistence in Benue State.

“For criminals to kill such a man is condemnable in all human angles and by the entire Zone C,” Ejeh said.

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 peace.

“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,” he added.

Ejeh urged security agencies to arrest, prosecute and publicly identify the killers, while cautioning against reprisals that could target innocent residents.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Joseph Har, described the killing as unfortunate and unacceptable.

He said the incident occurred at a time Benue had recorded months of relative peace.

Har appealed to the family, Fulani leaders and supporters of the deceased not to embark on reprisals, saying such action would 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.