Kidnappers Who Abducted Edo Doctor, Killed His Brother Arrested After Bringing Sick Child to Victim’s Hospital

In a dramatic and unforeseen twist, operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested two suspected kidnappers who allegedly abducted an Auchi-based medical doctor and killed his younger brother earlier this year. The suspects were apprehended after they brought their sick child to the very hospital where their victim works.

The suspects — identified as Idris Abubakar and Sani Abubakar — walked into Specialist Hospital, Auchi, on Sunday with their ailing child, unaware that the doctor attending to patients that day was the same man they had previously held captive. Upon sighting them, Dr. Abu Ibrahim Babatunde, who was recently released from captivity, instantly recognized the duo as members of the gang that kidnapped him and murdered his younger brother, Abu Tahir.

Sources at the hospital say the doctor discreetly alerted hospital security, who swiftly contacted the police. Officers arrived at the facility within minutes and arrested the suspects without resistance. The incident has been described as “one of the most extraordinary breakthroughs” in a kidnapping case in the state.

The kidnapping, which occurred on January 2, 2026, in Igbira Camp, Auchi, shocked residents of the area. Dr. Babatunde and his brother were abducted from their family home, and their captors later demanded a massive ransom reportedly starting at ₦200 million before eventually reducing it. While the doctor was released weeks later after his family paid a ₦50 million ransom, his younger brother was brutally killed, and his body dumped near a river.

The arrest of Idris and Sani comes just days after security operatives detained another suspect, Saminu Kawujie, during a coordinated raid in Warake Forest. The operation, carried out by police officers, local vigilantes and hunters, led to the recovery of knives, mobile phones, cash and an ATM card believed to belong to one of the victims.

Edo State Commissioner of Police confirmed the fresh arrests, describing the development as “divine justice” and reiterating the command’s commitment to dismantling kidnapping syndicates operating in the state.

“We will continue to pursue every lead until all those involved in this heinous crime are brought to justice,” the Commissioner said, assuring residents that the police are intensifying operations in known flashpoints.

The suspects are currently in custody and undergoing interrogation, while police say more arrests are expected as investigations progress.

The community in Auchi has expressed relief at the sudden breakthrough, praising the courage of the doctor for staying alert and the swift response of the police that led to the dramatic arrest.

This extraordinary turn of events has renewed public debate about the audacity of criminal gangs in Edo State and the growing necessity for sustained security operations to curb kidnapping in the region.