RismadarVoice Reporters
June 16, 2026
The Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has rejected allegations that four Fulani men arrested in Okpokwu Local Government Area were involved in kidnapping, insisting that they were innocent travellers heading to Onitsha.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Makurdi, the state chairman of MACBAN, Ardo Muhammad, said the men were travelling from Benue State to Onitsha, Anambra State, to visit relatives when they were allegedly attacked by local youths.
The incident followed reports that residents and vigilante groups had foiled an alleged kidnapping operation in the area last Wednesday, leading to the rescue of five persons said to have been held captive by suspected abductors.
Following the operation, authorities announced the arrest of three suspects, while another individual reportedly escaped. The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police for investigation.
Confirming the arrests, the Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area, Adah Inalegwu, stated that the suspects were apprehended after vigilante youths pursued individuals believed to be connected to the alleged abduction.
He, however, noted that investigations were still ongoing and that security agencies had yet to establish any direct link between the arrested persons and the reported kidnapping.
“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,” Inalegwu said.
Reacting to the development, Muhammad maintained that the men had no involvement in any criminal activity and were simply travelling through the area when they were attacked.
“The four Fulani men arrested were travellers going from Benue State to Onitsha to visit their relatives. One of them managed to escape,” he said.
He further alleged that three of the men were severely assaulted during the incident, adding that one of them later died from injuries sustained in the attack, while the remaining two are receiving medical treatment.
“The other three were badly beaten. One of them died from the injuries he sustained, while the remaining two are currently undergoing treatment,” Muhammad added.
The MACBAN chairman called on security agencies to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident, identify those responsible for the attack, and ensure justice is served.
He also dismissed claims that the men were kidnappers, arguing that they were targeted solely because they were Fulani travellers passing through the community.
