By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
The Benue State Police Command has clarified that the Medical Director of Multi Care Hospital, Makurdi, Dr. Jonah Ogbaji, was arrested by police operatives from Abuja and was not abducted as earlier reported.
The Command said Ogbaji was taken into custody by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad (STS), attached to the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, in connection with an ongoing investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Orchia Aondongu, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday while responding to reports concerning the alleged abduction of the medical practitioner.
According to him, the State Command verified the report and established that Ogbaji was arrested at his hospital by the Abuja-based police operatives.
“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 stated.
The PPRO, however, said the specific details of the investigation were not yet known to the Benue State Police Command.
He urged members of the public and the media to disregard reports alleging that the doctor was abducted.
The police clarification followed an earlier alarm raised by Ogbaji’s family over his disappearance from the hospital.
His daughter, Patience Ogbaji, had alleged that her father was taken away by armed men who identified themselves as police officers.
According to her, the incident occurred at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday within the hospital premises while her father was attending to patients.
She said the men arrived in a Toyota Sienna vehicle and claimed to be security operatives.
“He was on duty and they took him. Some armed men claimed they were police officers, but so far no station has claimed to have seen him. They took him away in a Toyota Sienna,” she said.
Patience explained that hospital workers initially believed the men were taking the doctor to a nearby police division but later became concerned when it became apparent that this was not the case.
She added that members of the family subsequently visited several police stations across Makurdi in an effort to locate the medical director before the State Police Command issued its clarification.
