Nine Worshippers Kidnapped During Night Vigil In Benue Catholic Church

Nine worshippers were kidnapped from Saint John’s Catholic Church in Ojije, Utonkon District of Ado Local Government Area, Benue State.

It was gathered that the incident happened on Sunday during a church vigil.

Emmanuel Udah, a former councillor for Ukwuenyo Ward in Ado, confirmed the abduction on Monday.

In a phone interview with Channels Television, he described the attack as “a targeted and planned crime against the Church, when innocent worshippers were at the most sacred ground, a place of worship, a place for peace, and refuge, only to be abducted, while praying, vulnerable and unarmed”.

Udah said the people of the area are deeply shaken by the attack and now feel unsafe.

He urged the authorities to strengthen security and stop the ongoing attacks in Benue State.

Udah also criticized the government’s neglect at all levels, even after many such incidents had been reported across communities in Benue.

“The people of Utonkon are living in fear, families are broken, children are traumatised, farmers, traders, worshippers, are all trapped as no one feels safe anymore in our land.

“This incident is not isolated; it reflects a growing pattern of insecurity that rural communities in Benue State continue to endure in silence and neglect. We are raising our voices because silence will kill us all,” the former councillor stated.

Udah called on the government to take immediate action to rescue the nine abducted worshippers.

The former councillor also appealed to the Church and the international community for support.

“Religious bodies, civil society organizations, human-rights groups, and the international community should speak out and stand with us.

“We are not asking for sympathy alone. We are asking for attention, protection, and justice. Let the world know that Utonkon matters,” he added.

The spokesperson of the Benue Police Command, Udeme Edet, confirmed that nine worshippers were abducted.

Edet said the state Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has deployed tactical teams and local vigilantes to track the kidnappers and secure the release of the victims.

KanyiDaily recalls that gunmen recently attacked three churches in Kaduna State, and kidnapped more than 100 worshippers during Sunday services.