Families of several young men arrested in connection with the murder of Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, have pleaded with security agencies to release their children, insisting they are innocent and had no involvement in the killing. The suspects were apprehended during a police raid at a local food joint in Otukpo, a location far from Okwudu community in Ohimini Local Government Area, where the Fulani leader was killed on May 16, 2024. The families argue that the arrests were carried out without due process and that their children were merely present at the eatery after returning from daily work.
One of the mothers, speaking through activist Meddy Olotu, said her 21-year-old son, Huseni, was simply having a meal after farm work when police stormed the premises. “My son came back from his daily job and decided to go and eat. Suddenly, the police came and raided the place. They didn’t even tell them what they had done. They simply arrested them while they were eating,” she stated. She emphasized that her son is a farm labourer with no knowledge of firearms, let alone any criminal intent. “My son is just a farm labourer. He does not even know how to use a gun, let alone kill anyone. I appeal to the Federal Government to help us and release my child. They are suffering in Makurdi,” she added.
Huseni’s father, Mr. Huseni Adama, echoed the plea, saying his son and another young man were arrested while eating near the Total Filling Station after a day’s work. “My son is still very young. They took them to Makurdi. Whenever I went to the bush to fetch firewood, he always followed me. Since they took him away, I can hardly eat. All his siblings are crying. My son is innocent,” he said emotionally. Another mother, whose son Adakole John is in custody, denied any link between her child and the murder. “My son, Adakole John, was arrested at the food joint near Total Filling Station in Otukpo while he was eating. He never went to Okwudu. He was arrested in Otukpo town after the police raided the place,” she explained.
Adakole’s father, a security guard at St. Jude, revealed that his son has been denied contact with the family since arrest. “He is the one taking care of me. I am begging the Idoma people and the authorities to help us. My son is innocent,” he pleaded. The relatives of 18-year-old Owiocho, a photographer, also said he was arrested during the same operation despite having no connection to the killing. He had gone to the food joint after work when police conducted the raid and detained everyone present.
The families are urging the police to conduct a fair and thorough investigation, insisting only those directly involved in the murder of Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed should be prosecuted. They stressed that innocent citizens must not be punished for crimes they did not commit. As of the time of reporting, the Nigeria Police Force had not disclosed the outcome of its investigation or arraigned the suspects in court. The case continues to draw public attention amid growing calls for justice and due process.
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