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By Lawrence Agbo
The Benue State Government has verified that nine worshippers who were kidnapped during a midnight prayer session at Saint John Catholic Church in the Ado Local Government Area’s Ojije neighbourhood of Utonkon community have been rescued.
Governor Hyacinth Alia praised security personnel for their prompt action in a statement released by Solomon Iorpev, the Governor’s Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity, and Strategic Communication.
The rescue, according to the governor, was a “significant breakthrough.”
Alia assured residents that local vigilante groups and security officials will keep working together to stop kidnapping and stop such events in the future.
To aid the hunt for offenders, he also asked the public to provide information promptly.
On February 13, 2026, the governor called a high-level security meeting in the Palace of the Och’Idoma in Otukpo in response to the kidnapping and other attacks in Benue South.
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He ordered the swift rescue of the victims during a meeting with the Idoma Traditional Council and senior security personnel.
Fear swept the town last Sunday when gunmen kidnapped nine attendees during a church vigil.
The incident was confirmed by Emmanuel Udah, a former councillor for Ukwuenyo Ward, who called it “a targeted and planned crime against the Church” and claimed that the locals were traumatised and growing more afraid.
He warned that communities felt abandoned despite repeated instances and urged authorities to address the recurrent attacks and bolster security.
Nine worshippers were taken, according to Udeme Edet, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the kidnapping earlier.
She stated that investigations are still underway and that Ifeanyi Emenari, the Commissioner of Police, used tactical teams in conjunction with neighbourhood vigilantes to find the offenders and secure the victims’ release.
