In Auchi, the administrative center of Etsako West Local Government Area in Edo State, gunmen accused of kidnapping a doctor named Abu Ibrahim Babatunde and his brother, Abu Tahir, have taken them.
The two were reportedly abducted on Thursday, January 1, 2026, New Year’s Day, at around 7:30 p.m. at their home on City Pride Road in the Ibira camp area.
At Auchi’s Edo State Teaching Hospital, the doctor is reportedly undergoing housemanship.
It was discovered that the victims were abducted in front of their homes while coming from work at gunpoint.
A source claims that the doctor and his younger brother showed up at their house at 7:30 p.m.
Tahir, the younger brother, got out of the car to open the gate when the gunmen—who were apparently waiting—came out of cover.
He claimed that “the two brothers were kidnapped by the gunmen and whisked into the nearby bush.”
The Edo State Police Command’s officials have acknowledged the occurrence and stated that they have sent officers to the scene.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on January 2, 2026, the command received a distress call regarding the kidnapping, according to ASP Eno Ikoedem, the command’s public relations officer.
In order to rescue the victims, a coordinated manhunt including the police, local vigilantes, forest guards, and Community Safety Partnership Volunteers who are familiar with the area has been initiated, according to Ikoedem. Operatives were sent to the spot right away.
Since the event, “aggressive search-and-rescue operations have been ongoing in the surrounding forest, with efforts focused on rescuing the victims and apprehending the perpetrators,” she continued.
She promised that the command will do all possible to guarantee the victims’ safe rescue.
In the meantime, Auchi community members have denounced the kidnapping of the physician and his brother, calling the event unsettling and intolerable.
The locals believed that the young doctor’s only transgression was serving humanity, despite characterizing him as a composed, devoted young professional dedicated to saving lives.
To ensure the victims’ safe and unconditional release, they urged security services, the Edo State Government, and other pertinent authorities to move quickly.
