Gunmen have abducted nine worshippers from Saint John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, in the Utonkon District of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.
The victims were reportedly taken away on Sunday night during a vigil held within the church premises, sparking fear and outrage in the community.
A former councillor who represented Ukwuenyo Ward in the Ado Local Government Legislative Council, Mr Emmanuel Udah, confirmed the incident on Monday.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Channels Television, Udah described the abduction as a deliberate and well-coordinated attack on the church, noting that the victims were seized while engaged in prayer.
“This was a targeted and planned crime against the Church, when innocent worshippers were at the most sacred ground—a place of worship, peace and refuge—only to be abducted while praying, vulnerable and unarmed,” he said.
Udah stated that the incident has left residents of the area traumatised, adding that a deep sense of fear has now taken hold of the community.
He called on security agencies and relevant authorities to urgently beef up security in the area and halt what he described as continuous attacks across Benue State.
Lamenting what he termed abandonment by governments at all levels, Udah said the people of Utonkon no longer feel protected despite repeated reports of insecurity in the state.
“The people of Utonkon are living in fear. Families are broken, children are traumatised. Farmers, traders and worshippers are all trapped as no one feels safe anymore in our land,” he said.
According to him, the abduction is not an isolated case but part of a disturbing pattern of insecurity confronting rural communities in Benue.
“This incident 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,” he added.
Udah appealed to the government to do everything possible to secure the release of the abducted worshippers, while also calling on the Church and the international community to speak out against what he described as persecution.
“Religious bodies, civil society organisations, 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 said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, CSP Udeme Edet, said nine worshippers were abducted during the attack.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ifeanyi Emenari, has deployed tactical units in collaboration with local vigilantes to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victims.
According to her, the police are currently on the trail of the perpetrators and efforts are ongoing to ensure the safe return of the abducted worshippers.
