Arrested Benue Kidnap Suspects Were Travellers, Not Criminals — MACBAN

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue State has claimed that men arrested in connection with a suspected kidnapping case in Okpokwu Local Government Area were travellers and not kidnappers.

The state chairman of MACBAN, Ardo Muhammad, made the claim in a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to journalists in Makurdi.

According to him, the four Fulani men were travelling from Benue State to Onitsha, Anambra State, to visit relatives when they were allegedly attacked.

The development followed reports that youths in the area had disrupted a suspected kidnap operation last Wednesday and rescued five victims.

Following the incident, three suspects were reportedly arrested and handed over to the police, while another suspect was said to have escaped.

The Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area, Adah Inalegwu, confirmed the incident, saying the suspected kidnappers abandoned their victims after being pursued by local vigilantes and youths.

However, Inalegwu said security agencies were still investigating the matter and had yet to establish whether the arrested men were actually involved in the crime.

“They are strangers in the community. It has not yet been confirmed whether they were kidnappers, but they have been handed over to the police,” he said.

Reacting to the arrests, MACBAN chairman Muhammad insisted that the men were innocent travellers who had no connection with the alleged kidnapping incident.

He alleged that one of the men escaped, while the other three were severely beaten after being apprehended. According to him, one of them later died from injuries sustained during the attack, while the remaining two were receiving medical treatment.

“The four Fulani men arrested were travellers going from Benue State to Onitsha to visit their relatives. One of them managed to escape,” Muhammad stated.

He called on security agencies to investigate the alleged attack on the men and bring those responsible to justice.

The MACBAN chairman also rejected claims linking the men to kidnapping, alleging that they were targeted because they were Fulani despite travelling peacefully.

The police have not publicly confirmed the identities or involvement of the arrested suspects in the alleged kidnapping case as investigations continue.