Gunmen Abduct Pastor, Two Church Members in Benue
Gunmen have abducted a pastor, Rev. Samuel Gbinde, along with two members of his congregation from his residence at the NKST Church, Andyar, in Ishan Classis of Benue State.
The abduction was confirmed in a statement issued by the Executive Committee of the Nongo u Kristu u i Ser u sha Tar (NKST) Church. According to the church, the victims were taken by armed men in the early hours of Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
The church described the incident as unfortunate and appealed to its clergy, members, and supporters to pray for the safe and unconditional release of the pastor and the two church members. It also prayed for strength and comfort for their families, the Andyar congregation, and the entire NKST community.
The church further called on security agencies as well as the Benue State and Federal Governments to intensify efforts to secure the immediate rescue of the victims and ensure those responsible for the abduction are arrested and prosecuted. It urged the authorities to adopt more proactive and sustained measures to tackle kidnapping and other security challenges across the country.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident, while efforts to obtain the command’s reaction were still ongoing.
