Blood on Idoma land: How the killing of Ardo Risku, ignored warnings plunged Otukpo into mourning

The bloodshed that engulfed Akpachi in Ugboju and Otukpo-Nobi over the weekend did not happen in isolation. For many residents of Benue South, the attacks were the tragic climax of weeks of mounting tension, unanswered questions, controversial arrests, public warnings and what many now describe as a catastrophic failure of security, IDOMA VOICE reports.

By the time the gunmen retreated from the affected communities, at least 18 people had been confirmed dead, scores injured, homes deserted and families thrown into mourning. Survivors insist the tragedy was not only devastating but avoidable.

The chain of events leading to the massacre began in June with the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue State, Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, in Ohimini Local Government Area.

His death immediately heightened tensions across Benue South and triggered a massive security operation. Within days, police arrested several young men from Otukpo and surrounding communities, including elderly residents and local vigilantes, many of whom their families insisted had no connection with the crime.

The arrests generated widespread outrage. Parents, traditional rulers, community leaders and civil society organisations questioned why the suspects were being detained without being charged to court or publicly linked to any evidence.

Citizen journalist Meddy Olotu Imanoel, alongside several media organisations, documented the arrests and later reported when the detainees were released after police investigations reportedly found no evidence connecting them to the murder.

While many welcomed the release as proof that innocent people had regained their freedom, the police offered no public explanation for the decision or any update on the investigation into Ardo Risku’s killing.

The silence left a vacuum that was quickly filled with speculation, suspicion and dangerous narratives.

That uncertainty took a more disturbing turn when social media activist Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), released a video claiming that armed bandits told him the attacks on Akpachi and Otukpo-Nobi were carried out in retaliation for the release of the suspects.

In the video, he also played Meddy Olotu’s report announcing their release, prompting criticism from journalists and media organisations who argued that reporting a verified development cannot be equated with responsibility for subsequent criminal acts.

Security agencies are yet to confirm the claim, but the killings that followed have further deepened anxiety across Benue South.

As the communities struggled to come to terms with the carnage, an even more disturbing revelation emerged. The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Idoma people, Ochetoha K’Idoma Forum Worldwide, alleged that the massacre was preceded by intelligence reports warning of an impending attack.

According to the organisation, the Och’Idoma, His Royal Majesty Dr. Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji, received credible information that armed men were mobilising to attack communities in Otukpo Local Government Area and immediately alerted the relevant security agencies.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its President-General, Prof. Yakubu Aboki Ochefu, and Secretary-General, Chief Dr. Paul Edeh, Ochetoha said the warning was ignored.

The organisation described the attacks on Akpachi-Ugboju and Otukpo-Nobi as “barbaric, unprovoked massacres” and argued that if security agencies indeed had advance notice but failed to act, the tragedy represented more than another security breach.

“The security agencies had actionable information and failed to act,” the statement read. “The blood of every victim is therefore not merely on the hands of the assailants, but also on those who received warning and did nothing.”

Ochetoha named some of those killed as Onche, a commercial driver, Ujah, Adoji, Juliet Ona and Eyum, while Efada Ohepo, Ebedigidi and several others were listed among the injured. Behind every name, the organisation said, is a family that has been permanently shattered.

Nothing illustrated the scale of the community’s grief more than what happened after the killings.

In an unprecedented move, grieving residents carried the bodies of some of the victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma. For centuries, Idoma tradition has regarded the royal palace as sacred, making it forbidden to take corpses there. According to Ochetoha, the decision to break one of the oldest customs of the land reflected a people overwhelmed by sorrow and frustration.

“When a people cast aside their most sacred custom to lay their dead before the throne of their king,” the organisation said, “it is because sorrow has crossed every boundary and anger has nowhere left to go.”

The forum also linked the tragedy to what it described as selective justice following the murder of Ardo Risku. It argued that while security agencies swiftly arrested innocent residents, including an octogenarian and local vigilantes who serve as the first line of defence in many rural communities, individuals who allegedly made public threats of violence on social media were never arrested.

According to Ochetoha, community leaders repeatedly appealed to young people to remain calm and avoid reprisals after Ardo Risku’s death. While those appeals were largely respected, the organisation said the restraint shown by residents was not matched by adequate protection from the authorities.

“We urged our youths to exercise maximum restraint. While our people kept the law, the marauders sharpened their machetes,” the statement declared, warning that justice perceived as selective only fuels mistrust and insecurity.

The organisation further claimed to have received fresh reports that armed men were gathering in forests surrounding several Idoma communities and planning additional attacks. It warned that the Federal Government and security agencies could no longer plead ignorance if more blood was spilled after such an advance notice.

Consequently, Ochetoha demanded the immediate deployment of security forces to forests around affected communities, the arrest and prosecution of persons allegedly issuing threats on social media, a comprehensive intelligence-led manhunt for those responsible for the massacres, the release of innocent persons wrongfully detained over the Ohimini incident, and urgent humanitarian assistance for displaced families, the wounded and the bereaved.

Despite its anger, the organisation appealed to Idoma youths not to take the law into their own hands, stressing that criminality should never be attributed to an entire ethnic group and that reprisals would only compound the tragedy.

Death Toll Hits 18 as Adejoh, Ottah, Obi, Others Demand Action

The killings in Akpachi, Ugboju-Ehaje and Otukpo-Nobi have continued to attract widespread condemnation from political leaders, traditional institutions and socio-cultural organisations, with growing calls for urgent government intervention to halt the violence and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Among the first to react was Peter Adejoh, an aspirant for the Benue State governorship on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who described the attacks as “horrific” and blamed what he called the failure of government to provide proactive security for vulnerable communities.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Adejoh said the killings were a painful reminder of what he described as a government that had “gone to sleep,” arguing that communities across Benue had continued to suffer repeated attacks while authorities responded only after lives had been lost.

According to him, the massacre in Otukpo-Nobi and Ugboju-Ehaje was not an isolated incident but the consequence of what he described as a failure of leadership and an ineffective security response.

He criticised what he called the government’s silence in the wake of the attacks, saying residents had been left to the mercy of armed criminals without adequate protection or meaningful support after each incident.

Adejoh urged federal security agencies to immediately deploy tactical personnel to the affected communities, track down those responsible for the killings and restore confidence among residents.

He also sympathised with the families of the victims and encouraged the people of Otukpo and the wider Benue South Senatorial District to remain united despite the tragedy.

The condemnation was echoed by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who said the latest attacks in Benue and neighbouring Plateau State underscored the urgent need for a more effective national security strategy.

Reacting to the killings, Obi lamented that families in Benue, Plateau and other parts of the country had continued to suffer violence, displacement and the destruction of their livelihoods, warning that such incidents must never become the nation’s new normal.

Describing the attacks as “painful and deeply disturbing,” Obi said every Nigerian life is sacred and urged the Federal Government to treat the protection of lives and property as its foremost responsibility.

“These are not mere statistics; they are fathers, mothers, children, breadwinners and future leaders whose dreams have been violently cut short,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor called for a security architecture built on intelligence gathering, rapid response and accountability, arguing that Nigeria must move beyond issuing routine condemnations after every attack.

“The time has come to move beyond routine condemnations after every attack. Nigerians deserve a security architecture that is proactive rather than reactive, driven by intelligence, rapid response and accountability. Those responsible for these atrocities must be identified, arrested and prosecuted. The culture of impunity must end,” Obi stated.

He also conveyed his condolences to the families of those killed, as well as the governments and people of Benue and Plateau states, expressing hope that the affected communities would recover from the tragedy.

The calls for urgent action were also echoed by Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, a former member of the House of Representatives and APC senatorial aspirant for Benue South, who described the killings as a national tragedy and urged governments at all levels to move beyond expressions of sympathy.

Reacting to the attacks in Akpachi, Ugboju and Otukpo-Nobi, Ottah Agbo said he was heartbroken by the loss of lives, noting that two separate attacks within 24 hours had left communities devastated and families in mourning.

According to him, no society should become accustomed to such bloodshed, stressing that the repeated killings in Benue South should trouble the conscience of the nation.

Speaking on behalf of himself, his family and members of the APC in Benue South, the former lawmaker condemned what he described as “barbaric acts,” insisting that there could be no justification for the killing of innocent people on their ancestral land.

While extending condolences to the bereaved families, Ottah Agbo appealed to residents of Benue South to remain calm and united despite the pain, saying the region’s greatest strength lies in its collective resolve during difficult times.

He challenged the local, state and federal governments to take more decisive steps to secure vulnerable communities, insisting that the era of issuing condolences after every attack should give way to concrete action.

“The people of Akpachi, Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi, and indeed all of Benue South deserve protection. The days of lamentations should be over. Governments at all levels have both the resources and the responsibility to protect our people,” he said.

Ottah Agbo also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the attacks, declaring that Benue South could not continue to bury its people while residents lived in fear of returning to their farms or sleeping peacefully in their homes.

“We deserve to farm in peace. We deserve to sleep with our two eyes closed. Enough is enough,” he stated.