 |
| MACBAN Logo |
News Desk
Prime Brief Media | June 17, 2026
MAKURDI, BENUE STATE — The Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue State, Ardo Muhammad, has alleged that the four suspects arrested in connection with a kidnap attempt in Okpokwu Local Government Area were innocent travellers, not criminals.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to journalists in Makurdi, the MACBAN state chairman alleged that the four Fulani men were travelling from Benue State to Onitsha to visit their relatives when they were ambushed.
Youths in the area were reported to have foiled a kidnap attempt last Wednesday, June 10, 2026, and rescued five victims. The day after the incident, three suspects were reported to have been arrested and handed over to the police, while one escaped.
The Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area, Adah Inalegwu, who confirmed the incident, said that the kidnappers abandoned their five victims when vigilante youths gave them hot pursuit. Inalegwu, however, said that the three suspects were arrested the following day and added that they were yet to be confirmed by security operatives as being responsible for the Wednesday crime.
They are strangers in the community. It has not yet been confirmed if they were kidnappers, but they have been handed over to the police, the chairman said.
But the MACBAN chairman, in his statement on Tuesday, presented a dramatically different account. He said the people arrested were travellers going to Onitsha to meet their families.
The four Fulani men arrested were travellers going from Benue State to Onitsha to visit their relatives. One of them managed to escape. The other three were severely beaten. One of them later died from his injuries at the scene, while the remaining two are currently receiving medical treatment, Muhammad said.
He called on security agencies to act swiftly to arrest the perpetrators and ensure justice is served, thereby restoring order and rebuilding confidence in the area. He denied the report that the men were kidnappers, saying that the people were attacked solely because of their identity as Fulani while travelling peacefully.
The conflicting narratives have heightened tensions in Okpokwu LGA and surrounding communities. The local government chairman insists the suspects were arrested in connection with a kidnapping operation, while MACBAN maintains they were innocent travellers targeted because of their ethnicity.
The case highlights the growing distrust between communities in Benue State, where farmer-herder conflicts and communal violence have claimed hundreds of lives over the past decade. The killing of one of the suspects and the injury of two others raise questions about the use of vigilante justice and the treatment of suspects before they are handed over to the police.
The Benue State Police Command has not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The case is expected to be investigated by the police, who will determine whether the suspects were indeed kidnappers or innocent travellers caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The outcome of the investigation could have significant implications for community relations in the area.
Key Facts
- Incident: Foiled kidnap attempt in Okpokwu LGA, Benue State
- Date: June 10, 2026
- Victims rescued: 5
- Suspects arrested: 3 handed over to police, 1 escaped
- MACBAN claim: Suspects were innocent Fulani travellers to Onitsha
- Allegation: One suspect died from injuries, two receiving treatment
- Local government: Suspects are strangers, not confirmed as kidnappers
- Police: Investigation ongoing, no official statement yet