Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed one of two doctors abducted in Auchi, Edo State, in a grim escalation of a New Year’s Day kidnapping that has shocked the local community and the medical profession.
The victim, Tahir Abu Emhoye, was seized alongside his elder brother, Abu Ibrahim Babatunde, on the evening of January 1, 2026, as the siblings were returning home from work. The abduction occurred at about 7:30 pm along City Pride Road, Igbira Camp, near the gate of their residence in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area.
Tahir, described as a fresh medical graduate of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, was later killed by the abductors, who reportedly dumped his body near a river. His elder brother is currently undergoing housemanship at Edo University Teaching Hospital, Auchi.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the kidnappers contacted the family on Saturday, January 3, demanding a ransom of N200 million for the release of the two victims. However, days later, a video circulated on social media claimed that one of the abducted doctors had been killed.
The video, posted by Ismail Egbomiade on the Auchi Blog and Services Facebook page, alleged that Tahir—who previously served as Director of Sports of the AAU Students’ Union Government—was murdered and his corpse abandoned by a riverside. Security operatives subsequently launched a search of surrounding bushes and forested areas in an effort to locate the victims.
It was during this operation that the lifeless body of the young doctor was discovered near a river, police sources said.
Confirming the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said the body was found by the riverside and later identified by family members as one of the two abducted brothers.
Police have not disclosed further details on the fate of the surviving victim, but investigations are ongoing as security agencies intensify efforts to track down those responsible for the abduction and killing.
