Residents of Utonkon District in the Ado Local Government Area of Benue State have been left broken and traumatised following the abduction of nine worshippers from Saint John’s Catholic Church, Ojije.
The worshippers were abducted on Sunday night when gunmen stormed the church premises during a vigil, an incident that has deepened fear and despair across the community.
A former councillor who represented Ukwuenyo Ward in the Ado local government legislative council, Emmanuel Udah, confirmed the incident on Monday, according to Channels TV.
He described the situation as a devastating blow to an already traumatised population.
Udah was quoted as saying the attack was “a targeted and planned crime against the Church, when innocent worshippers were at the most sacred ground, a place of worship, a place for peace, and refuge, only to be abducted, while praying, vulnerable and unarmed”.
According to him, the abduction has shattered the sense of security in Utonkon, leaving families devastated and residents living in constant fear.
“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,” Udah said.
He noted that beyond the immediate victims, the entire community is suffering psychological and emotional distress, as daily activities have been disrupted by fear of further attacks.
Udah lamented what he described as continued neglect of rural communities in Benue State, despite repeated reports of violence and abductions.
“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 stated.
Calling for urgent intervention, the former councillor urged authorities to strengthen security in the area and take decisive steps to prevent further trauma to residents.
He also appealed for the immediate rescue of the nine worshippers abducted from the church and called on religious bodies and the international community to intervene.
“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 added.
Confirming the abduction, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, said nine worshippers were taken during the attack.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, had deployed tactical units in collaboration with local vigilantes to track down the abductors and rescue the victims, adding that the police were on the trail of the perpetrators.
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