Families of several young men arrested over the killing of Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, have appealed to security agencies to release their children, insisting they had no involvement in the murder.
The parents claimed the suspects were arrested during a police raid at a local food joint in Otukpo, far from Okwudu community in Ohimini Local Government Area, where the Fulani leader was killed.
One of the mothers, who spoke through activist Meddy Olotu, said her 21-year-old son, Huseni, had only gone to eat after returning from his daily farm work when police officers stormed the area and arrested everyone at the scene.
“My son came back from his daily job and decided to go and eat. Suddenly, the police came and raided the place.
They didn’t even tell them what they had done. They simply arrested them while they were eating,” she said.
She maintained that her son was merely a farm labourer with no link to the killing.
“My son is just a farm labourer. He does not even know how to use a gun, let alone kill anyone. I appeal to the Federal Government to help us and release my child. They are suffering in Makurdi,” she added.
Huseni’s father, Mr. Huseni Adama, also insisted his son was innocent, saying he and another young man were picked up while eating near the Total Filling Station after returning from work.
“My son and another tenant’s son came back from work and were eating around the Total Filling Station when they were arrested. My son is still very young. They took them to Makurdi.
“Whenever I went to the bush to fetch firewood, he always followed me. Since they took him away, I can hardly eat. All his siblings are crying. My son is innocent,” he said.
Another mother, whose son, Adakole John, is among those in custody, denied any connection between her son and the killing.
“My son, Adakole John, was arrested at the food joint near Total Filling Station in Otukpo while he was eating. He never went to Okwudu. He was arrested in Otukpo town after the police raided the place,” she said.
Adakole’s father, who identified himself as a security guard at St. Jude, said his son was not allowed to contact the family after his arrest.
“He is the one taking care of me. I am begging the Idoma people and the authorities to help us. My son is innocent,” he pleaded.
The relatives of another suspect, 18-year-old Owiocho, said he works as a photographer and was equally arrested during the police operation despite having no involvement in the incident.
According to the family, Owiocho had gone to the food joint after work when officers carried out the raid and arrested everyone present.
The families urged the police to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation, stressing that only those directly connected to the killing of Ardo Risku Mohammed should face prosecution.
They appealed to the authorities to release anyone found not to be involved, arguing that innocent citizens should not continue to suffer for an offence they did not commit.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not disclosed the outcome of its investigation or arraigned the suspects before any court.
