Abducted Benue Pastor Dies After Regaining Freedom From Captivity

The abducted pastor of the Nongo u Kristu u i Ser u sha Tar (NKST) Church, Rev. Samuel Gbinde, has died shortly after regaining freedom from captivity in Benue State.

Rev. Gbinde and two members of his congregation were abducted on June 30, 2026, when armed men invaded his residence at the NKST Church in Andyar, Ishan Classis, Benue State.

Following the abduction, the General Secretary of NKST, Rev. Dr. T. A. Targba, appealed to security agencies as well as the Benue State and federal governments to intensify efforts to rescue the victims and ensure those responsible were arrested and prosecuted.

Confirming the pastor’s death on Saturday, an NKST official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rev. Gbinde sustained severe injuries after he was allegedly tortured by his abductors while in captivity.

According to the source, the pastor was released after a ransom was paid but was in critical condition, with the left side of his body reportedly paralysed.

“Pastor Gbinde died in the early hours of Saturday. He was manhandled by his abductors while in captivity. When he regained freedom, the left side of his body was not functioning. He was first taken to a hospital in Anyiin in Logo Local Government Area, but when his condition failed to improve, he was transferred to NKST Hospital, Mkar, for further treatment.

“At NKST Mkar, doctors discovered that he had sustained a severe head injury after being struck with a gun, which badly affected his brain and required urgent surgery. He was later moved to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where he died in the early hours of Saturday. May his soul rest in peace,” the source said.

The source added that Rev. Gbinde and the two other abducted church members were released after a ransom was paid, noting that the cleric was in the worst health condition at the time of their release.

Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, neither answered calls nor responded to messages at the time of filing this report.