Korede Abdullah 
EDO, Nigeria – An abducted medical doctor in Edo State regains his freedom after nearly two weeks in captivity, following the payment of a negotiated ransom, police and medical officials confirm.
Dr Ibrahim Abu Babatunde, a housemanship doctor at Edo University Teaching Hospital, Iyamho, is released days after kidnappers kill his younger brother during the same abduction, a case that has shocked the medical community and reignited concerns over insecurity.
The doctor and his brother, Abu Tahir, were kidnapped on January 1, 2026, outside their residence on City Pride Road, Auchi, in Etsako West Local Government Area. The abductors initially demanded ₦200 million, according to family sources.
Despite ransom negotiations, the kidnappers murder Tahir, a newly graduated doctor from Ambrose Alli University. His body was found on January 5 near a river along the same road, security operatives say.
Dr Babatunde remains in captivity as negotiations continue. The ransom is later reduced to between ₦40 million and ₦50 million, leading to his eventual release.
“I can confirm that the doctor has been released,” Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Eno Ikoedem, tells reporters on Thursday.
A viral video circulating online claims local vigilantes and hunters rescue the doctor from a forest near Auchi. In the footage, a narrator alleges one kidnapper is killed during the operation, adding, “He was rescued in a deep forest. He cannot walk because the kidnappers shot him in the leg.”
The Edo State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Eustace Oseghale, also confirms the release, saying the association will issue a formal statement.
The incident underscores growing fears over targeted attacks on health workers amid Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
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Mirian Gom 
Oluwafunbi Bello