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Nine worshippers were abducted on Sunday during a vigil at Saint John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, in Utonkon District of Ado Local Government Area, Benue State.
Emmanuel Udah, a former councillor representing Ukwuenyo Ward, confirmed the incident on Monday, describing it as a deliberate and targeted attack on the church.
He said the victims were taken while praying, emphasising that they were unarmed and in a place meant for peace and refuge.
Udah told reporters that the abduction had left the local community traumatised, with many residents feeling unsafe in their own homes.
“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.”
He urged authorities to strengthen security and take immediate action to curb the escalating attacks across Benue State.
The former councillor also lamented what he described as the government’s neglect, noting that repeated incidents of violence in rural communities had gone largely unaddressed.
He added that families, farmers, traders, and worshippers now live in fear, and warned that continued silence could worsen the crisis.
He called on the government to prioritise the rescue of the abducted worshippers, while also appealing to religious organisations, civil society groups, human rights bodies, and the international community to advocate for protection and justice for the affected community.
Udah stressed that the people of Utonkon were not seeking sympathy, but attention and intervention.
Confirming the abduction, Benue State Police spokesperson Udeme Edet said nine church members had been taken.
She added that the State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, had deployed tactical units in collaboration with local vigilantes to track the kidnappers and secure the release of the victims.
