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In a coordinated operation that underscores both the persistent threat of kidnapping in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and the capacity of security forces to respond when intelligence and local collaboration align, the Benue State Police Command has successfully rescued eight kidnap victims, including a Catholic priest of the Otukpo Diocese. The operation, which spanned several days in mid-October 2026, also led to the arrest of two suspects believed to be linked to the criminal gang responsible.
According to a statement released on Monday by the Command’s spokesperson, Peter Aondongu (also referred to in some reports as DSP Aondogu Orchia or Peter Aondongu), the victims included Rev. Fr. John Inalegwu Otache, Parish Priest of St. Margaret’s Parish, Ajegbe-Awume, in Ohimini Local Government Area. Fr. Otache and the seven others were abducted last Tuesday, October 13, while returning from a village market along the Ugbokolo–Ajegbe–Awume Road, near Ipiga Village in Ohimini LGA.
Armed men intercepted the group around 8:15 p.m. that evening. The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo had earlier confirmed the priest’s abduction in a statement signed by Diocesan Chancellor Rev. Fr. Joseph Itodo (or Joseph Aboyi Itodo in some accounts). Fr. Otache was returning home from Otukpo when he encountered the kidnappers along the Otobi-Amejo-Ajegbe Road in the same local government area. Bishop Michael Ekwoyi Apochi of Otukpo expressed deep pain over the incident and appealed for prayers for the priest’s safe release, as well as for other captives held across Nigeria.
Upon receiving the report, operatives of the Benue State Police Command, working in conjunction with personnel of the Police Mobile Force and the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, launched a coordinated rescue effort.
Two victims were freed on October 16, with the remaining six—including Fr. Otache—rescued on October 18. The rescued individuals were taken to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Otukpo for medical examination and necessary treatment.
During the operations, two suspects identified as Echefu Emmanuel and Obonyilor Emmanuel were arrested. They are currently assisting police with ongoing investigations. Authorities have intensified efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang, emphasizing that all those involved will be brought to justice.
State Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu appreciated the support of Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu and the Assistant Inspector-General of the Police Mobile Force. He also commended the operatives for their prompt response, professionalism, and commitment to protecting lives and property. The Command reassured residents of its determination to sustain intelligence-led operations against criminal elements and called on the public to provide timely and credible information.
This successful rescue comes against a grim backdrop of escalating insecurity in Benue State and across Nigeria’s North-Central region.
Benue, often called Nigeria’s “food basket” due to its agricultural productivity, has long grappled with farmer-herder conflicts that have evolved into broader banditry and commercial kidnapping. Armed groups frequently target travelers on rural roads, particularly those returning from markets or navigating isolated stretches, demanding ransoms that place heavy burdens on families and communities.
Catholic clergy and institutions have been particularly vulnerable. Fr. Otache’s abduction marks at least the second incident involving a priest from St. Margaret’s Parish in Ajegbe-Awume; a previous priest serving there, Rev. Fr. Anthony Adikwu, was also kidnapped years earlier.
In July 2026, a seminarian named Kelvin Ochai was reportedly abducted from the bishop’s residence in Otukpo. Nationwide, reports indicate that hundreds of Catholic priests have been kidnapped in recent years amid a wave of violence that has affected dozens of dioceses, with many released after ransom payments, Data from monitoring groups highlight the scale: between mid-2025 and mid-2026 alone, thousands of people were kidnapped in Nigeria in over a thousand incidents. In Benue South and surrounding areas, hostage-holding camps have been documented, with attackers often exploiting forested terrain and weak road security.
Recent months have seen multiple mass abductions of travelers, mourners, and villagers, sometimes followed by protests blocking major highways when communities feel authorities are slow to respond. Ransom demands can start in the tens of millions of naira before negotiations reduce them, though police in this case appear to have prioritized kinetic rescue over payment.
The involvement of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards alongside regular police and Mobile Force units reflects a growing reliance on hybrid security arrangements in states facing resource constraints. Local knowledge of terrain and community intelligence often prove decisive in locating camps in dense forests or remote villages.
Yet analysts note that while individual rescues like this one demonstrate operational capability, the underlying drivers—poverty, arms proliferation, weak governance in rural areas, and sometimes ethnic or resource-based grievances—require broader political and economic solutions beyond policing alone.
For the Catholic community in Otukpo Diocese, the safe return of Fr. Otache brought relief and thanksgiving. In a statement following his release, the diocese expressed joy and gratitude to God, with Bishop Apochi giving “all the glory to God” and thanking the faithful for their prayers and solidarity. The Church continues to pray for the many others still held captive across the country, calling for the restoration of peace and sanity in Nigeria.
Fr. Otache’s ordeal and the parallel suffering of the seven civilians underscore how kidnapping has become a pervasive threat that cuts across social status, profession, and location. Rural roads that once facilitated trade and pastoral work now carry heightened risk after dusk. Market-goers, priests traveling between parishes, students, and ordinary travelers all face the same vulnerability.
The Benue Police Command’s achievement in freeing eight people and securing two arrests offers a measure of hope and a model of coordinated response. Sustained success, however, will depend on continued intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, community vigilance, and addressing the root conditions that allow criminal gangs to thrive. As the Command intensifies efforts to dismantle the remaining network, residents of Ohimini and neighboring areas will be watching closely—hoping that this rescue signals not just a temporary victory, but progress toward safer roads and more secure communities in a state long strained by violence.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Politics and Technology.
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