Bandits who abducted nine worshippers from St John’s Catholic Church, Ojije in Utonkon, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, have demanded a N100 million ransom for their release, family sources have disclosed.
The victims—comprising women and youths—were seized around 2 a.m. on Sunday while holding a church vigil. It took four days before the abductors established contact with families.
A relative of one of the victims, speaking anonymously to Punch Metro, confirmed the development.
“It was only yesterday (Wednesday) that they contacted us and demanded N100m,” the source said. “After negotiation, they reduced the ransom to N30m, which is what we are now working hard to raise.”
The source appealed for public assistance, adding: “We are seeking help from friends, relatives, and the wider public. We are also appealing to public-spirited individuals, corporate organisations, and civil society groups to come to the aid of the abductees.”
Security agencies have been deployed to the area, but the victims remain in captivity as of Thursday evening.
“They have yet to apprehend the kidnappers and rescue our people. We are calling on the government to deploy more personnel to comb the forest and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the source added.
Efforts to reach Benue State Police Command spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet were unsuccessful, as calls to her phone rang unanswered. Chairman of Ado Local Government, Sunday Oche, declined to comment on the ransom demand but assured that security operatives are working toward the safe rescue of the victims.
The abduction is the latest in a string of attacks on faith communities in Benue State, where remote communities remain vulnerable to non-state armed groups. St John’s Catholic Church is located in a rural area surrounded by forest—terrain kidnappers often exploit for concealment.
Human rights groups have repeatedly called for increased security presence in Benue’s local government areas, warning that porous borders and understaffed police formations are enabling kidnapping-for-ransom to thrive.
The Catholic Diocese of Ado is yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
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