The government of Benue State, in central Nigeria, has condemned the killing of the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Ardo Risko Mohammed, and pledged to support every effort to secure justice for his family. The killing took place in the Benue South Senatorial District, and the state authorities described it as a heinous crime that should not go unpunished.
Speaking to journalists, the special advisor to Governor Hyacinth Alia on internal security, Joseph Har, said the attack was the work of bandits and not the collective action of the people of Benue. Officials were keen to stress that the crime should be seen as an act of criminality rather than a confrontation between communities.
Nine local government chairmen from the Benue South Senatorial District met with state government officials over the killing. The chairmen of the Ohimini and Otukpo areas, where the attack occurred, insisted that the killing was the handiwork of bandits and not of the Idoma people, whom they described as peace-loving.
The late association chairman was remembered as a man of peace and a peace advocate, whose efforts had helped to strengthen harmony among different communities in the state. Officials said it was particularly painful that a figure known for promoting peaceful coexistence should be killed in such a brutal manner.
The Benue State Police Command announced the arrest of ten suspects in connection with the killing, adding that investigations were continuing in order to establish the full circumstances of the attack and to bring all those responsible to justice. The authorities did not release further details about the suspects while the inquiry remained open.
State officials condemned the killing in its entirety and commended the swift reaction of Governor Alia. They also said the government was working to ensure that communities continued to live together peacefully, and to prevent the attack from triggering any reprisal violence in the affected areas.
By framing the killing as a criminal act to be answered through the law and the ongoing police investigation, rather than as a dispute between communities, the authorities sought to lower tensions and appeal for calm. Officials reiterated their commitment to federal and state efforts to confront insecurity, urging residents to support the security agencies and to uphold peace as the investigation proceeds.