During a vigil at St. John’s Catholic Church in Ojije, Utonkon District of Ado Local Government Area, Benue State, at least nine worshippers were kidnapped on Sunday by alleged bandits.
According to local authorities, the attack happened at around two in the morning on Monday while the church was conducting a vigil as part of a 30-day program.
Comrade Jude, the National Publicity Secretary of the Ufia Development Association in the LGA “Around 2 a.m., nine worshipers, including women and youths, were abducted from St. John’s Catholic Church while they were at the vigil,” Onwe told our correspondent.
Sunday Oche, the Chairman of Ado LGA, confirmed the occurrence and bemoaned the church’s failure to call in security personnel in spite of earlier advice.
That’s what we’ve been fighting against. After learning of the tragic kidnapping, I called in all of the security services. “We’re working hard,” Oche stated.
He reminded locals that disregarding such warnings puts individuals in danger and asked them to include security guards in nighttime events. “What worries us is that people disregard the advice to call the police whenever a nighttime event, like a wedding, funeral, or celebration, lasts past 9 p.m.,” he stated.
Udeme Edet, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, responded by stating that tactical teams had been sent to the scene in order to rescue the victims. “Efforts are being made to rescue the worshippers, and security personnel are pursuing the kidnappers,” he continued.
The state has had several violent attacks, notably the June 2025 massacre in Yelwata that took over 200 lives and sparked national and international criticism; the most recent kidnapping underscores the state’s increasing instability.
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