The Benue State Police Command has arrested ten suspects in connection with the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue State Chapter, Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and another victim identified as Yakubu Isa. The arrests were made during a coordinated overnight operation in Otukpo Local Government Area on June 27, 2026, following what police described as intensive intelligence gathering and tactical deployment. The Command's Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, has assured the public that investigations remain ongoing and that efforts are underway to apprehend additional suspects.

The Benue State Police Command announced on Sunday the arrest of ten suspects in connection with the killing of Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, the State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue State Chapter, and one Yakubu Isa.

The disclosure was made in an official press statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Udeme Edet, and released on June 28, 2026.

According to the statement, police tactical teams conducted a coordinated overnight operation across Otukpo Local Government Area on June 27, 2026, leading to the arrest of the ten individuals.

The suspects identified in the statement are: Titus Thyodenda, 25; Utibe Sam, 20; Owoicho Ameh, 18; Sunday Useni, 21; Sunday Ogbanje, 46; Daniel Raphael, 23; Adokole John, 24; Samuel Ogazi, 32; Agbo Daniel, 25; and Onazi James, 30.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, commended officers involved in the operation for their swift response and professionalism.

"Investigations are ongoing," the statement noted, adding that the Command has "intensified efforts to identify and apprehend other persons connected to the killings."

CP Nwadiogbu reiterated the Command's commitment to ensuring all persons found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with the law, and appealed to residents to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies, and share credible intelligence that could assist investigations.

The killing of a MACBAN state chairman carries significant weight in Benue State, which has been at the centre of one of Nigeria's most protracted and deadly farmer-herder conflicts. MACBAN, the umbrella body for Fulani cattle herders in Nigeria, has historically been at the intersection of that conflict, with Benue communities and government authorities engaging the association both as a dialogue partner and as a subject of security scrutiny.

The precise circumstances of Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed's death — including the date, location, and motive — have not been publicly disclosed in the police statement. Whether the killing is connected to the broader farmer-herder tensions in the state, a personal or community dispute, or criminal activity remains publicly unestablished as of the time of this report.

The murder of a prominent community figure associated with herder interests in a state historically sensitive to inter-communal violence has the potential to inflame tensions. The swift police response and public communication may be intended in part to reassure communities on all sides that the State is responding through legal channels. The police commissioner's appeal for calm reinforces that reading.

The ten suspects range in age from 18 to 46 years, and their names reflect a mix of local ethno-linguistic identities, a detail that investigative follow-up may need to assess for community context without prejudgment.