Suspects arrested in Benue kidnap case were travelers, Miyetti Allah claims
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Miyetti Allah in Benue State claims suspects arrested for a kidnapping were actually travelers.
- The association alleges three Fulani men were attacked while traveling from Benue to Onitsha, with one dying from injuries.
- Local authorities confirmed arrests following a foiled kidnapping, but the identity and involvement of the suspects remain unconfirmed.
The Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue State, Ardo Muhammad, has asserted that individuals apprehended in connection with a recent kidnapping incident in Okpokwu Local Government Area were merely travelers.
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 that four Fulani men traveling from Benue to Onitsha to visit relatives were ambushed. He claimed that one of the three men arrested managed to escape, while the other two were severely beaten. According to Muhammad, one of the injured men later died from his injuries at the scene, and the remaining two are receiving medical treatment. He denied reports that the men were kidnappers, suggesting they were attacked solely due to their Fulani identity.
This account contrasts with the local government chairman's confirmation of a foiled kidnapping attempt. Adah Inalegwu, Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area, reported that vigilante youths pursued and thwarted the kidnapping of five victims. While three suspects were arrested the following day and handed over to the police, Inalegwu cautioned that their involvement in the Wednesday crime had not yet been confirmed by security operatives. He described the arrested individuals as strangers in the community.
The other three were severely beaten. One of them later died from his injuries at the scene, while the remaining two are currently receiving medical treatment.
MACBAN urged security agencies to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators of the attack on the travelers, emphasizing the need for justice to restore order and confidence in the area. The association's statement aims to refute the narrative that the arrested individuals were involved in criminal activity.
They are strangers in the community. It has not yet been confirmed if they were kidnappers, but they have been handed over to the police.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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