Police Rescue Abducted Catholic Priest, 7 Others In Benue, Arrest 2 Suspects
The Benue State Police Command has rescued the abducted Catholic priest of St Margaret’s Parish, Ajegbe-Awume, in Ohimini Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, Rev. Fr John Inalegwu Otache, and seven other victims,…
Benue State has for years been plagued by kidnapping-for-ransom gangs and armed criminal groups operating along its highways and rural roads, often targeting travellers, clergy and farmers in local government areas such as Ohimini, Agatu and Guma. Catholic priests and religious workers have been recurrent targets of such attacks in parts of Nigeria's North-Central and southern regions, raising recurring concerns about rural security and the safety of worshippers and clergy moving between parishes.
The reports agree on the core facts: gunmen abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. John Inalegwu Otache of St Margaret's Parish, Ajegbe-Awume, along with seven other travellers along the Ugbokolo-Ajegbe-Awume Road, and police later rescued all eight victims and arrested two suspects. Details such as the exact date of the abduction, how long the victims were held, whether a ransom was paid, and the identities or backgrounds of the two arrested suspects have not been disclosed. Channels TV additionally reports that the rescued victims were taken to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo, for medical evaluation, while police say other fleeing gang members remain at large and investigations are ongoing.