By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Chairmen of Local Government Councils in Benue South Senatorial District have condemned the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Muhammad, pledging their full support to security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

The council chairmen also appealed for calm, warning against premature conclusions over the identity of the perpetrators, while urging residents to allow security agencies to carry out thorough investigations.

Ardo Risku was reportedly killed alongside his associate, Yakubu Isah, in an ambush by unidentified gunmen at about 2pm on Friday along the Okudu axis of Otukpo Local Government Area, LGA.

The two men were returning from a peace and security meeting held in Idekpa, Ohimini LGA when they were attacked.

Sources said the meeting was convened by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Idekpa as part of efforts to strengthen peace and security in the area.

Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Ohimini LGA, Gabriel Adole, described the late MACBAN chairman as a close family friend and a committed advocate of peaceful coexistence.

“He was a man who could come to my house at any time. That shows how close we were, and that is why we are deeply pained by his death,” Adole said.

He recalled that Risku had consistently worked to resolve conflicts across communities, noting that they had jointly intervened in previous security incidents to prevent reprisals.

“Even when an incident occurred in another local government recently, he called me because that place is my mother’s community. We spoke to calm tensions and later met in Wadata, Makurdi, to ensure peace. That was the kind of hardworking and peaceful person he was.

“He came to my local government for a peace meeting, and on his way back, this unfortunate incident happened. This appears to be an orchestrated attack. I do not believe it was carried out by my people or any Idoma-speaking person,” he added.

Adole appealed to the Fulani community and MACBAN members to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies. “We appeal to the Fulani community and MACBAN to allow security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation so that those behind this unfortunate incident can be identified and brought to justice,” he said.

Similarly, the Chairman of Otukpo LGA Maxwell Okri, described the killing as shocking and painful, especially as it occurred shortly after a meeting aimed at promoting peace in the area.

“It is a painful loss, particularly at a time when he had joined other stakeholders to discuss ways of deepening peace and security in our communities. It is even more heartbreaking that after attending such a meeting, he was brutally murdered in cold blood. We condemn this heinous act in its entirety,” he said.

Okri commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for swiftly condemning the attack and directing security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.

He added that the late MACBAN chairman had remained committed to efforts aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence between herders and host communities noting “there are criminal elements in our society who do not want peace, and they are the ones perpetrating these killings. We urge our people to remain law-abiding and refrain from taking the law into their own hands. Security agencies are working round the clock to ensure the perpetrators are arrested,” Okri stated.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, also condemned the killing and appealed for calm.

Har assured the family of the Ardo and all residents that security agencies had commenced investigations and would track down those responsible for the murder.

“We urge everyone to remain calm and allow security agencies to do their work. Those behind this heinous crime will be identified and brought to justice,” he said.