The Edo State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers in connection with the abduction of Dr Abu Babatunde and the killing of his younger brother.
The command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the arrests followed sustained intelligence-led operations targeting organised criminal networks responsible for kidnappings in Auchi and neighbouring communities.
“The Edo State Police Command wishes to provide updates on the ongoing investigation into the kidnapping of Dr Abu Babatunde, following successive arrests recorded during intelligence-led operations in Auchi,” the statement read.
According to the police, the first arrest was made on February 3, 2026, when operatives of the Auchi Division, working with local hunters and vigilante groups, intercepted a suspect, Saminu Kawujie, at Warake Forest. A search conducted on him led to the recovery of two knives, two mobile phones, a UBA ATM card and N20,250.
“An identification parade was conducted at the police station, and he was identified as one of the abductors of Dr Abu Babatunde,” the statement added.
Further arrests were recorded on Sunday at about 9:00 a.m., when two other suspects, Idris Abubakar and Sani Abubakar, were apprehended at the Specialist Hospital, Auchi. The police said both men were identified as members of the gang that abducted Babatunde on January 2, 2026.
One of the suspects, Abubakar, was specifically linked to the receipt of ransom payments made for the doctor’s release.
“Efforts have been intensified towards a comprehensive investigation aimed at dismantling the entire organised criminal network responsible for kidnappings in Auchi and its environs,” the statement said.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, reassured residents of the command’s resolve to crack down on kidnapping and other violent crimes, stressing that aggressive bush-combing operations and intelligence-led policing would continue across the state.
Babatunde regained his freedom after his family paid a N50m ransom. His younger brother was later found dead on January 5 along the Orley River, Down City Pride Road, Igbira Camp, allegedly killed by the abductors.