Medical director handcuffed, taken away from hospital as Police confirm arrest

The Benue State Police Command has clarified that the Medical Director of Multicare Hospital, Makurdi, Dr Jonah Ogbaji, was arrested by police operatives and not abducted, following reports that armed men took him away from his hospital while he was attending to patients.

Ogbaji was reportedly taken from the hospital along Ankpa Road, Makurdi, at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Initial reports suggested that the medical director had been abducted after witnesses said men who identified themselves as security operatives arrived at the hospital in a Toyota Sienna and took him away. His daughter, Patience Ogbaji, also told journalists that the family initially could not establish his whereabouts and visited several police stations in Makurdi.

However, the Benue State Police Command subsequently said the report of an abduction was false.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, said Ogbaji was arrested at his hospital by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad (STS) attached to the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja.

“The doctor was not abducted. He was arrested yesterday at his hospital by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad attached to the Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, in connection with an ongoing investigation,” the police said.

The command said it was not yet aware of the specific circumstances surrounding the investigation.

It consequently urged members of the public and the media to disregard reports describing the incident as an abduction or kidnapping.

Family initially feared abduction

Before the police clarification, the circumstances surrounding Ogbaji’s disappearance had raised concerns among his family and colleagues.

His daughter said the men who arrived at the hospital claimed to be police officers. She said hospital workers were unable to establish where they were taking him, leading the family to search several police stations in Makurdi.

According to reports, the men allegedly handcuffed the doctor before taking him away. However, the police have not independently confirmed that detail.

The police clarification changed the nature of the incident from a suspected abduction to an arrest carried out by a federal police tactical unit.

Reason for arrest undisclosed

The police have not disclosed the specific offence or circumstances that led to Ogbaji’s arrest.

The state police spokesperson said the matter was being handled by operatives from the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja and that the Benue Command did not have the full details of the investigation.

The development has nevertheless drawn attention because of the manner in which the arrest initially appeared to resemble a kidnapping.

The case also comes months after another Nigerian medical director, Dr Edwin Emegakor of Crown Multi-Specialist Hospital in Nkpor, Anambra State, was abducted from his hospital by unidentified gunmen in May. Emegakor was later released with the assistance of security operatives.

For now, the Benue Police Command maintains that Dr Ogbaji was arrested, not abducted, while the circumstances and details of the investigation remain undisclosed.