Missing Benue medical doctor was arrested, says police

The Benue State Police Command has said that the Chief Medical Director of Multicare Hospital, Makurdi, Dr Jonah Ogbaji, was arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja.

In a terse statement issued on Thursday morning, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, said Ogbaji was arrested by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad attached to the Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Reports of the suspected abduction of the medical doctor had gone viral on social media in the state after he was reportedly taken away around 9pm on Wednesday while attending to patients at his hospital along Ankpa Road, Makurdi.

Ogbaji’s daughter, who identified herself as Patience, also told our correspondent by telephone that her father had been abducted and appealed for his safe return.

She said her father had twice served as an ex-officio member of the Peoples Democratic Party in the North-Central zone.

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However, the state command spokesman, Aondongu, later described the alleged abduction as a “false alarm”.

The PPRO said, “The Command has received enquiries regarding reports of the alleged abduction of a medical doctor and owner of a hospital in Makurdi.

“Upon verification, the report is false. The doctor was not abducted. He was arrested yesterday at his hospital by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad (STS) attached to the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, in connection with an ongoing investigation.”

Aondongu said the specific circumstances surrounding the investigation were yet to be known to the state command.

The command advised residents of the state to disregard reports of the alleged abduction or kidnapping of the medical doctor.

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