The Edo State Police Command has arrested two men suspected of kidnapping a medical doctor and his brother earlier this year in Edo North.
The suspects were apprehended in a dramatic incident at the Edo State University Teaching Hospital, Auchi, on Sunday.
The suspects, identified as Idris Abubakar and Sani Abubakar, were arrested after they were reportedly recognised by one of their alleged victims, Dr Abu Ibrahim, a medical doctor at the hospital. The arrest was confirmed in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem.
According to the police, the suspects had visited the hospital to check on a sick baby girl who was receiving treatment in the emergency ward.
While attending to his duties, Dr Ibrahim allegedly recognised the men as members of the gang that abducted him and his brother in January and immediately alerted hospital security personnel. The suspects were subsequently arrested within the hospital premises.
The kidnapping incident reportedly occurred at Igbira Camp, Auchi, near a military barracks. Dr Ibrahim and his brother, Abu Tahir, were said to have been abducted, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of ₦100 million.
During the incident, Tahir was allegedly killed while attempting to escape, while Dr Ibrahim was later released after a ransom running into millions of naira was paid.
Security sources further disclosed that prior to their arrest, the suspects had been sighted moving around Auchi town alongside two individuals dressed in military uniforms, a development that had heightened fears of insecurity among residents of Edo North.
Reacting to the arrest, community leaders, including Alhaji Rilwanu Bonvist Oshiobugie and the Daudu of Igbe, Chief Yekini Sado, described the development as a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping in the area.
They called on security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover other members of the suspected kidnapping syndicate.
The leaders also commended Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for strengthening security across the state, noting that recent interventions were beginning to yield positive results.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Police Command Headquarters for further investigation.
