A medical doctor, Dr Ibrahim Abu Babatunde, who was abducted alongside his brother in Edo State, has regained his freedom after spending about two weeks in captivity.
Dr Babatunde, a housemanship doctor at Edo University Teaching Hospital, Iyamho, was kidnapped on January 1, 2026, along with his younger brother, Abu Tahir, a newly qualified medical graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Auchi.
The two were abducted at the gate of their residence in the Igbira Camp area of Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area, shortly after returning from work.
The kidnappers initially demanded N200 million as ransom for their release but later killed Tahir Abu on January 6, 2026. His body was subsequently discovered by security operatives near a riverside.
Despite the killing, the abductors continued to hold Dr Babatunde and reportedly reduced the ransom demand first to N100 million and later to N40 million following negotiations with the family.
News of Dr Babatunde’s release emerged on Wednesday evening through a viral video shared on social media. One platform, Auchi Blog, reported that he was rescued around 8 p.m. by local hunters and vigilantes during an operation in the forest.
A narrator in the video claimed that one of the abductors was neutralised during the rescue and that the doctor sustained a gunshot injury to his leg, leaving him unable to walk without assistance.
Footage showed vigilantes helping the injured doctor into a waiting vehicle after his rescue from what was described as a deep forest location.
The Edo State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Eustace Oseghale, confirmed Dr Babatunde’s release, noting that the association’s state executive council was meeting and would issue an official statement later.
