The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo has announced the abduction of one of its seminarians, Mr. Kelvin Ochai, describing the incident as deeply distressing.
This was contained in a statement by the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Joseph Aboyi Itodo, who said the incident occurred on Wednesday, at the Bishop’s Residence in Asa III, Otukpo, Benue State.

He said the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, expressed deep sadness over the incident and appealed to members of the Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill to pray for the seminarian’s quick and safe release.

Fr Aboyi said Diocese is intensifying efforts aimed at securing Ochai’s freedom and also remembers others currently being held by kidnappers across the country in its prayers.

The Diocese did not disclose further details about the circumstances surrounding the abduction as at the time of filing this report.

However, when contacted, the Spokesman of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Orchia Aondogwu said the command had yet to establish that the seminarian was kidnapped.

“The report in our possession is that the seminarian went out to take his bath, and the place where he went is different from where he resides. After some time, he could no longer be found. For now, it is still a case of a missing person.”

Aondogwu added that reports of an attempted abduction at the residence about two weeks earlier had not been officially reported to the command.

“The rumour was that about two weeks ago, some persons came to the house and attempted to abduct the seminarian, but that was never officially reported to us. It was only after this incident that we started hearing about it,” he said.

He said investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the seminarian’s disappearance.

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested three suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for the killing of a soldier during a deadly ambush in May.

They recovered military rifles stolen during the attack in a coordinated operation spanning Rivers, Delta and Imo states.

The operation was reported by security analyst, Zagazola Makama.

According to the report, the arrests followed months of intelligence-driven operations by troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade under Operation UDO KA after gunmen ambushed soldiers on May 4, 2026, killing one soldier, injuring another and making away with service weapons.

Makama said that intelligence gathered during the investigation, including information obtained from previously arrested suspects, led operatives to identify the alleged masterminds as Albert Tony, popularly known as “Chiboy,” Temple Eburua, alias “Marathon,” and Vitalis Eburua, also known as “Onowu.”

The report stated that investigators also uncovered the role of an alleged accomplice, Mr. Abire, who reportedly helped the suspects flee from Rivers State to Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State after the attack.

According to him, troops arrested Abire in Port Harcourt on July 30, and information obtained during his interrogation led security operatives to the suspects’ hideout in Delta State.

Acting on the intelligence, troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, in collaboration with personnel of the 181 Battalion, raided Opaebe Community in Oleh during the early hours of July 31, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.

“The suspects subsequently led troops to their hideout in Ohaji/Egbema, where military weapons stolen during the May ambush were concealed,” the report stated.

Makama said further exploitation of the hideout also led troops to another camp at Umudike Plantation, where additional weapons and ammunition were recovered.

Among the recovered items were one AK-47 rifle, two AK-47 magazines, one FN rifle and two FN rifle magazines believed to have been stolen during the ambush.

Troops also recovered three additional AK-47 rifles, nine AK-47 magazines, one pistol with its magazine, 194 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 45 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one fragmentation jacket and other items suspected to be linked to the gang’s activities.

According to the report, the suspects are currently in the custody of the 34 Artillery Brigade and are undergoing further interrogation as security agencies work to identify other members of the alleged criminal network and recover more weapons.

Makama described the operation as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to apprehend those responsible for attacks on security personnel and recover stolen military hardware, adding that follow-up operations are continuing.

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A joint military task force has rescued an abducted senior Nigerian Army officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, 10 days after they were kidnapped in Enugu State.

The development was disclosed on Saturday by counter-insurgency and Lake Chad security analyst, Zagazola Makama, in a post on his X handle, citing intelligence sources.

Makama, citing security sources, said the victims were rescued in the early hours of Saturday, August 1, following an intensive search-and-rescue operation by troops of Sector 1, Operation UDO KA.

The operation involved personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Rear), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (NN SBS), and the 197 Special Forces Battalion, under the leadership of the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, with support from the Air Component.

The sources said troops conducted sustained operations between 6:00 p.m. on July 31 and 6:00 a.m. on August 1, acting on actionable intelligence across the forests of Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze, as well as adjoining communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

At about 2:00 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division reportedly alerted the troops to the suspected location of the victims.

The troops immediately launched a fighting patrol and found Lt. Col. Amobi and Onwuanra abandoned at the edge of a forest. The civilian was discovered with a gunshot wound.

Both victims were evacuated to Inyi before being transferred to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and further medical evaluation.

During preliminary debriefing, the victims said they were blindfolded shortly after being abducted and taken to an unknown location. They added that they were later abandoned in a forest around the Enugu-Anambra border as security forces intensified operations against their captors.

Military intelligence attributed the successful rescue to sustained pressure mounted by the joint force, backed by the Air Component, which maintained surveillance and operational dominance over suspected criminal hideouts throughout the 10-day operation.

The report added that efforts were ongoing to identify, track and arrest those responsible for the abduction.