For Immediate Release

29 June 2026

Press Release

CLEEN FOUNDATION CONDEMNS THE KILLING OF BENUE STATE MACBAN CHAIRMAN, CALLS FOR RESTRAINT AND INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN JUSTICE DELIVERY

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CLEEN Foundation strongly condemns the brutal ambush and killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, on Friday, June 26, 2026, in Okudu Community, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. CLEEN Foundation views this targeted attack as a profound threat to local peace-building efforts, particularly as it occurred shortly after the victims participated in a crucial stakeholders’ peace dialogue convened by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohimini LGA. When actors who actively engage in peace initiatives are targeted, it undermines the trust necessary for community dialogue, conflict resolution, and transitional justice across the region.

​While we acknowledge the swift operational response of the Benue State Police Command under CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, which led to the arrest of ten (10) suspects on Saturday June 27, 2026, CLEEN Foundation stresses that justice must not stop at preliminary arrests. To prevent this tragedy from triggering wider reprisal actions and further destabilizing vulnerable communities in Otukpo, Ohimini, and environs, institutional transparency and proactive containment are urgently required.

​Call to Action

​CLEEN Foundation puts forward the following targeted recommendations:

Thorough and Transparent Prosecution: The Benue State Police Command & Judiciary must conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and ensure that it is meticulous, intelligence-led, and free from profiling. The case must progress swiftly to the prosecution of all culpable individuals to serve as a visible deterrent to perpetrators of communal violence.

​Protection of Peace Advocates: Security institutions must reassess and enhance protection frameworks for community leaders, mediators, peace practitioners and advocates and participants who risk their safety to attend state-convened security dialogues.

​To the National and State Leadership of MACBAN & Community Elders:

​Exercise Utmost Restraint: We call on the leadership of MACBAN and regional community heads to actively de-escalate tension among their members and prevent any form of retaliatory or reprisal attacks. True justice must be sought strictly within the parameters of civil law.

​To the Benue State Government & Local Government Chairmen (Otukpo and Ohimini):

​Proactive Community Engagement: Local authorities must immediately deploy early-warning and early-response mechanisms. Joint peace committees involving herder representatives, agrarian community leaders, and local security actors should be reinforced to manage the immediate fallout and control harmful rumors.

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Signed

Peter Maduoma

Executive Director