Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has strongly distanced its members from the deadly attack on Otukpo Nobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area, which claimed the lives of at least 16 people in the early hours of Sunday, 12 July 2026. The association, in a statement issued on Monday, 13 July 2026, urged the public to avoid hasty conclusions and refrain from linking the incident to Fulani herders without proper investigation by security agencies.
The attack occurred between 3:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. when suspected gunmen invaded the Nobi community, opening fire on sleeping residents and forcing many to flee. Several others sustained injuries, while an unspecified number of people were reported missing after the assault. The killings sparked protests by youths and women, who blocked major roads leading into Otukpo, including the Enugu–Otukpo and Makurdi–Otukpo highways, before marching to the palace of the Och'Idoma to demand urgent government intervention. One of the protesters, Comfort Inalegwu, said she lost three family members in the attack, including her sister and two children.
In a statement signed by the state Secretary of MACBAN, Ibrahim Galma, the association condemned the attack and the killings. Galma stated that no Fulani had been living in Otukpo and its environs since last year, adding that all Fulani residents in the area were forcefully evicted sometime last year, including their community leader, Chairman Yenusa, who left the state after efforts to restore peace in Otukpo failed. Galma also alleged that Otukpo Nobi and other neighbouring communities such as Okete, Amla-Icho, and Otada already had pending communal clashes.
The association also called on the public to refrain from linking the incident to a reprisal attack over the killing of its chairman, Ardo Risku Mohammed, who was ambushed and killed on 26 June 2026 around Okwudu in Otukpo Local Government Area while returning from a peace meeting convened by authorities in Ohimini Local Government Area. Galma said making such conclusions at this stage would only compromise the ongoing investigation being carried out by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.
While calling on its members and the public to remain calm and law-abiding as security agencies investigate the incident, the MACBAN scribe also urged the authorities to monitor discussions on social media, warning that inflammatory comments could heighten tension and undermine peace efforts. The association prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims and for the restoration of peace in Otukpo and Benue State.
The fresh violence came barely two weeks after the murder of the Benue State MACBAN chairman, Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah. Authorities are investigating whether the latest attacks were carried out in retaliation for the earlier killing. Governor Hyacinth Alia, in a statement issued on Sunday, condemned the killings, describing them as "a barbaric and inhuman assault on the sanctity of life and the collective soul of the people of Benue State." He directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols across the affected communities and border areas, and to ensure that those responsible are arrested and prosecuted. The governor also urged residents to support security agencies with credible intelligence, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to tackling insecurity across the state.
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