The Benue State Police Command has dismissed reports that Dr. Jonah Ogbaji, Medical Director of Multicare Hospital in Makurdi, was abducted, clarifying that he was arrested by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad (STS) attached to the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, in connection with an ongoing investigation.
The clarification followed concerns raised by the doctor’s family after he was reportedly taken away by unidentified men from his hospital premises on Wednesday night, September 23, 2026.
According to reports, Ogbaji was attending to patients at the hospital at about 9 p.m. when some men arrived in a Toyota Sienna vehicle and whisked him away without providing any explanation to staff or other persons present.
The incident initially sparked fears of a possible abduction, prompting the doctor’s family to raise the alarm and appeal to security agencies to establish his whereabouts and ensure his safe return.
An unnamed source close to the family reportedly disclosed that relatives had visited several police stations across Makurdi in an attempt to locate the medical director but were unable to obtain information about his whereabouts.
The family’s concerns reportedly intensified as they sought urgent intervention from security agencies over the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
The statement, signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the police had received enquiries following reports of the alleged abduction of a medical doctor and hospital owner in Makurdi.
According to the statement, the arrest was carried out on Wednesday at the doctor’s hospital in connection with an ongoing investigation.
“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,” the statement said.
The Command, however, disclosed that it was yet to establish the specific circumstances surrounding the investigation, indicating that it did not have further details about the case at the time of the clarification.
The police urged members of the media and the general public to disregard reports describing the incident as an abduction or kidnapping, insisting that the doctor’s removal from the hospital was an arrest carried out by security operatives.
The development has brought a new dimension to the incident, which initially raised concerns among the doctor’s family and those seeking information about his whereabouts.
While the police have clarified the circumstances of Ogbaji’s removal from the hospital, the nature of the investigation that led to his arrest remains unclear. The Command has not disclosed further details about the allegations, if any, against the medical director.
