Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume has condemned the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Ardo Risku, and his associate, demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

In a statement by his media aide Yomi Odunuga, Akume described the act as a direct assault on the peace and mutual trust communities in Benue had worked to rebuild, warning against allowing those opposed to peace to reverse recent security gains. He urged communities to reject attempts to sow discord and reprisals.

He called on the police, the DSS and other agencies to conduct a thorough, transparent investigation, insisting that those behind the murder be brought to justice in the same way as the suspects in the Yelwata killings. He reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to tackling insecurity nationwide.

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution also condemned the killing, with Director General Joseph Ochogwu describing the late leader as a tireless advocate of reconciliation whose death was a setback to the state’s fragile peacebuilding. The Benue Police Command, meanwhile, said it had arrested 10 suspects during a coordinated night operation in the Otukpo area, with Commissioner Cletus Nwadiogbu commending the tactical teams.

Separately, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun hailed the police and Inspector General Tunji Disu over Operation Kosaye, a joint Ogun-Lagos crackdown credited with 88 arrests, four suspects killed in gun duels, five kidnap victims rescued and arms recovered. Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke separately praised the military’s role in national defence while flagging concerns over arms proliferation and suspected bandits entering parts of the state.