20 August 2026
Kidnapping in Benue
OpenWatch has recorded 261 reported kidnapping incidents in Benue State, 69 of them in the last 12 months. That is 20% of every incident recorded in the state, and ranks it 9 of 37 among the states where kidnapping is reported often enough to profile.
Incidents · 12 mo
69
Fatalities · 12 mo
56
Incidents · all-time
261
Fatalities · all-time
204
Latest reported kidnapping in Benue
15 August 2026 · Otukpo
Troops rescue three kidnap victims in Otukpo
15 August 2026 · Ado
Two kidnappers arrested chasing escaped victim in Benue
13 August 2026 · Ohimini
Bandits abduct 14 passengers along Ankpechi-Omutele
9 August 2026 · Katsina-Ala
Suspected bandits demanded N500,000 from a farmer in Mbagena Council Ward, Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State, before allowing him to harvest his crops, amid a broader pattern of ransom demands imposed on residents in the area.
29 July 2026 · Otukpo
A Catholic seminarian was allegedly abducted from the residence of the Catholic Bishop of Otukpo on a Wednesday and resurfaced two days later in Aliade, Gwer East LGA. The Benue State Police Command is investigating the claim, noting the circumstances may constitute a missing person case rather than a confirmed abduction, though the seminarian reported to police that unknown gunmen had taken him.
26 July 2026 · Katsina-Ala
Bandits invaded a farmer's compound in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State, demanding N500,000 before allowing him to harvest his crops; after he paid N200,000, they abducted and tortured his wife over the delayed balance before releasing her, and the farmer remains in hiding with crops still unharvested.
26 July 2026 · Ukum
Troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE foiled a kidnapping attempt and rescued 11 passengers along the Igbayima-Pevikiya Road in Ukum LGA, Benue State. The military intervened before the abduction could be completed.
20 July 2026
Troops and hunters rescued a kidnapped victim along the Benue–Nasarawa border. The operation was conducted by Nigerian Army forces in collaboration with local hunters.
18 July 2026 · Ohimini
Three siblings transporting their late mother's remains from Abuja to Benue State were abducted by suspected armed herdsmen along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road in Ohimini LGA. The gunmen also seized the mother's corpse during the incident.
Other threats in Benue
About these figures
Counts cover incidents classified as kidnapping in Benue State, drawn from OpenWatch’s incident record, excluding retracted reports and duplicates merged into an earlier report. Figures update hourly. Last recorded: 20 August 2026.
Reported numbers are a floor, not a census. Incidents in remote areas are routinely under-reported, and classification follows how an event was described in reporting, so a low count is not a guarantee of safety. See the full Benue risk profile for every threat type, or the methodology for how incidents are collected and classified.
Track Benue live on the incident map.