By Peter Duru
The Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has expressed deep concern over what it described as escalating killings, attacks and cattle rustling across Benue South Senatorial District, saying the violence has gone beyond the traditional farmer-herder conflict and now reflects organised criminality.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the association’s Secretary, Ibrahim Galma, MACBAN condemned the wave of violence in the area and urged the Benue State Government, security agencies and traditional institutions to take immediate steps to halt the bloodshed and restore peace.
According to Galma, “We wish to state categorically that the situation in Zone C has transcended a farmer-herder conflict. What we are witnessing is pure criminality orchestrated by criminal elements who are exploiting the fragile security situation to perpetrate murder, theft, arson and forceful displacement of innocent citizens.”
The association recalled that its Benue State Chairman, Ardo Risku Muhammad, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, were killed by gunmen at Okudu village in Otukpo Local Government Area on June 26, 2026, describing the incident as one that heightened fear and tension across the district.
