Families of some of the young men arrested in connection with the killing of Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, have appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to release their children, insisting they are innocent.
According to reports by Idoma Voice, the suspects were arrested during a police raid on a food joint near the Total Filling Station in Otukpo town, several kilometres away from Okwudu community where the MACBAN leader was killed. The parents alleged that their sons were picked up randomly while eating after returning from work.
One mother described how her 21-year-old son, Huseni, a farm labourer, had returned from his daily job and stopped at the food joint when police stormed the area and arrested everyone present. Another parent pleaded, “My son is just a farm labourer. He does not even know how to use a gun… I appeal to the Federal Government to help us and release my child. They are suffering in Makurdi.”
The family of 18-year-old Owoicho, who works as a photographer, also maintained that he had no connection to the incident. He had gone to the food joint after work when the arrests occurred.
The parents of another suspect, Adakole John, similarly insisted he had no link to the killing and was arrested while eating in Otukpo. His father, a security guard, said his son was denied the opportunity to contact him after the arrest.
The families have called for a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure that only those directly connected to the killing are prosecuted. They urged authorities to expedite the process so that innocent individuals can regain their freedom and not suffer for a crime they did not commit.
The appeals come amid ongoing tensions following the death of Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, whose passing earlier this week prompted condolence visits from Benue State government officials and APC leaders.
