A medical doctor abducted in Auchi, Edo State, has regained freedom two weeks after he and his younger brother were seized at the entrance of their residence.
Dr Ibrahim Abu Babatunde, a house officer at Edo University Teaching Hospital, was taken hostage on January 1 alongside his brother, Tahir Abu, a newly qualified doctor from Ambrose Alli University.
The pair were ambushed moments after closing from work at Igbira Camp in Etsako West Local Government Area.
Their captors reportedly demanded a ransom of N200m shortly after the abduction.
However, negotiations took a tragic turn on January 6 when Tahir was killed in custody. His remains were later recovered along a riverside by security operatives.
Despite the loss of the younger victim, the abductors held on to Dr Ibrahim, slashing the ransom first to N100m and later to N40m, according to sources familiar with the case.
News of his release filtered through late Wednesday via videos shared across social media.
In one clip posted by the Auchi Blog, local hunters and vigilante operatives were credited with rescuing him from a forest at about 8pm.
A voice in the video claimed one of the kidnappers was neutralised during the operation.
Footage also showed security volunteers assisting the wounded doctor into a vehicle, with reports indicating he suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.
Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Edo State, Dr Eustace Oseghale, confirmed Babatunde’s freedom, adding that the association’s leadership would issue a formal statement after its ongoing deliberations.