Gunmen Assassinate Benue MACBAN Chairman After Security Meeting

​MAKURDI — Tragedy struck the Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) following the brutal assassination of its state chairman, Alhaji Ardo Risku.

​The community leader and an unidentified companion were ambushed and shot multiple times at Okudu village in the Ohimini Local Government Area. The attack occurred barely an hour after Risku attended an official local government security council meeting aimed at fostering peace in the volatile region.

​A Premeditated Ambush?

​The National Headquarters of MACBAN, in a statement signed by National President Baba Othman Ngelzarma, expressed deep shock and outrage over the killing, suggesting the attack bore the hallmarks of a premeditated assassination.

​”It is particularly troubling that a community leader who attended a security meeting meant to promote peace and stability could become a victim shortly after,” Ngelzarma stated.

​Compounding the family’s tragedy, MACBAN revealed that Risku’s son, a practicing lawyer, had narrowly escaped a violent assault in a neighboring village just last week. The association believes these consecutive incidents point to a targeted campaign against the chairman’s family.

​Rising Tensions and Calls for Justice

​The assassination threatens to derail fragile peace negotiations and worsen herdsmen-farmer relations in Benue State. MACBAN leadership warned that targeting peace advocates and community leaders severely undermines local reconciliation efforts.

​The association has issued an urgent appeal to federal and state security agencies to launch an immediate, transparent investigation into the murders.

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​”Those who seek to destabilize society through violence must not be allowed to succeed,” Ngelzarma emphasized, reaffirming MACBAN’s commitment to lawful engagement and collaboration with law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators.

​No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and police authorities in Benue State have yet to release an official statement regarding arrests.