Palpable tension has gripped several local communities in Benue State following the brutal assassination of the state Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Muhammad, alongside another traveler identified as Yakubu Isah.
The fatal ambush occurred on Friday afternoon, June 26, 2026, within the borders of the Otukpo Local Government Area.
The prominent herdsman leader was traveling back from an official security intervention when armed men intercepted his vehicle and opened fire, killing both occupants instantly.
The tragedy unfolded just hours after Muhammad attended a crucial communal peace meeting brokered by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Ohimini Local Government Area.
The strategic meeting had been convened at the Ayunne community to resolve deep-seated disputes between local farmers and Fulani herders following previous fatal clashes in the axis.
Although regional heads reported that the peace dialogue concluded on a highly fruitful note, the MACBAN chairman’s vehicle was heavily targeted at Okudu village during his return journey through neighboring Otukpo territory.
"It is true that the state chairman of MACBAN was killed within Otukpo LGA this afternoon.
The killing has raised tension in the community and environs," stated the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, as he appealed to traumatized residents for absolute calm.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Adole Gabriel, lamented that the peace building process had been severely undermined by the lawless actors.
The Benue State Police Command, speaking through its spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed receiving the formal report of the double homicide and announced that an exhaustive investigation has been launched to track down the fleeing gunmen.
Over the past year, border communities connecting the Otukpo and Ohimini administrative areas have suffered a wave of retaliatory security challenges and agrarian violence, which local authorities are working tirelessly to suppress.
#BenueState #MiyettiAllah #MACBAN #ArdoMuhammad #OtukpoLGA #BenuePolice #HerdersFarmersClash
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