Nine worshippers were abducted from Saint John’s Catholic Church in Ojije, Utonkon District, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State during a Sunday night vigil.
Emmanuel Udah, a former councillor for Ukwuenyo Ward, confirmed the incident on Monday. Speaking with Channels Television, he characterized the abduction as a deliberate attack on the church, emphasizing that innocent worshippers were taken from sacred ground—a place meant for peace and refuge—while they prayed, vulnerable and defenseless.
Udah said the incident has left the community traumatized and fearful. He called on authorities to strengthen security measures and halt the persistent attacks plaguing Benue State, expressing frustration over what he described as government abandonment at all levels despite repeated incidents across the region.
The people of Utonkon are living in fear. Families are broken, children are traumatized, and farmers, traders, and worshippers are all trapped—no one feels safe anymore in our land,” Udah said. 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.
Udah urged the government to rescue the nine abducted worshippers and called on religious institutions, civil society organizations, human rights groups, and the international community to advocate for the persecuted.
We are not asking for sympathy alone. We are asking for attention, protection, and justice. Let the world know that Utonkon matters, he said.
Benue State Police Command spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed the abduction, stating that Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari has deployed tactical units to work alongside local vigilantes to track the abductors and rescue the victims. Police are currently pursuing the perpetrators.
