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Gunmen storm Catholic church during vigil in Benue State
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Nine worshippers abducted in Ado Local Government Area
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Police deploy tactical teams to rescue victims
Gunmen have abducted nine worshippers from St. John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, in Utonkon District, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, during a night vigil on Sunday.
The attack occurred when the assailants stormed the church premises while worshippers were praying, throwing the community into fear and distress.
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A former councillor who represented Ukwuenyo Ward in the Ado Legislative Council, Emmanuel Udah, confirmed the incident on Monday.
Udah described the abduction as a devastating and deliberate attack on a place of worship, saying it had shattered the community’s sense of safety.
According to him, the incident was a “targeted and planned crime against the Church,” carried out while worshippers were vulnerable and unarmed.
“The people of Utonkon are living in fear. Families are broken, children are traumatised, and no one feels safe anymore in our land,” Udah said.
He added that the abduction has disrupted daily activities in the area, with farmers, traders and residents afraid of further attacks.
Udah lamented what he described as the continued neglect of rural communities in Benue State, despite repeated reports of violence and abductions.
“This incident reflects a growing pattern of insecurity that rural communities continue to endure in silence and neglect,” he said.
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The former councillor called for urgent intervention by security agencies, appealing for the immediate rescue of the abducted worshippers.
He also urged religious bodies, civil society organisations and the international community to draw attention to the plight of the community.
“We are not asking for sympathy alone. We are asking for attention, protection and justice,” Udah said.
Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Command said nine worshippers were abducted during the attack.
The police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, had deployed tactical units, in collaboration with local vigilantes, to track the abductors and rescue the victims.
She added that security operatives were on the trail of the perpetrators.