Ardo Risku, chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, in Benue State, and his son Ibrahim were shot dead on Friday, June 27, 2026.
The pair were ambushed while returning from a peace meeting in Otukpo Local Government Area, according to security outlet Zagazola Makama. The attack occurred near Ahimeni in the Okodu area. Witnesses said suspected militia members carried out the assault.
The meeting was intended to foster peaceful coexistence between farming and herding communities in the state.
The killings have renewed fears over insecurity in Benue, where repeated attacks have killed residents and displaced families. Community members called the incident “tragic.” Local stakeholders also urged the public to avoid ethnic profiling, stressing that crimes should not be blamed on entire groups.
“Efforts to tackle insecurity must focus on identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators, not on ethnic or religious labels,” some stakeholders said.
As of press time, Benue security agencies had not released an official statement. Authorities said efforts were ongoing to track and arrest those behind the attack.
The killings echo a similar incident last year in Katsina State, where the acting MACBAN chairman was murdered by gunmen. His two wives and daughter were abducted in that attack.
