Ransom payments top N100m as farmers decry rising insecurity

A farmers’ group operating in the Benue Valley has raised alarm over the rising cases of killings, kidnapping and sexual violence affecting farming communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in parts of Benue and Nasarawa states. The United Farmers Association in the Benue Valley, in a press statement issued last Thursday, said dozens of farmers […]

A farmers’ group operating in the Benue Valley has raised alarm over the rising cases of killings, kidnapping and sexual violence affecting farming communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in parts of Benue and Nasarawa states.

The United Farmers Association in the Benue Valley, in a press statement issued last Thursday, said dozens of farmers and residents had been abducted or killed in recent months, significantly worsening the humanitarian crisis in affected rural areas.

In a statement signed by the group’s President, Chief Denen Dennis Gbongbon, it was revealed that at least 47 persons were kidnapped between November and December, 2025, and that the families of the victims paid more than ₦100m in ransom.

The group further claimed that some victims were killed despite the payments, while others remained missing.

The association also reported that 23 women and girls were sexually assaulted within the same period, describing the situation as a catastrophic security and humanitarian crisis for the rural dwellers.

The statement referenced an incident on December 25, 2025, in which a cleric, Pastor John Okafor, of the Deeper Life Bible Church, was abducted in Kadarko town, Nasarawa State—a community bordering Benue.

According to the association, the cleric was released five days later after a ransom of approximately ₦5m was paid.

The farmers’ group criticised security agencies and local authorities for failing to adequately protect vulnerable communities, particularly displaced persons living in camps, and called for a thorough investigation into the alleged security lapses.