The Bahir Dar and Surrounding Areas High Court has sentenced Esubalew Nebere to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for the February killing of Dr. Andualem Dagne, a prominent surgeon and department head at Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital, according to reporting by Addis Standard.
The verdict, delivered on Friday, followed what the court described as extensive evidence showing that the assailant ambushed Dr. Andualem and shot him while he was driving home on 1 February 2025. Addis Standard also cites state media reports confirming that another doctor was targeted the same night when a bullet struck their vehicle.
Prosecutors said that, immediately after the killing, joint investigative teams from the Regional Police Headquarters and the Bahir Dar City Administration launched an “intensified” investigation, working continuously to identify the suspect.
However, despite the court’s ruling, public skepticism persists. In local discussions and online commentary, some residents have questioned whether the convicted man is the actual perpetrator. Competing narratives have emerged, with some individuals suggesting—without publicly presented evidence—that armed Fano elements or government security actors may have been responsible, each side accusing the other of orchestrating politically motivated violence. These claims remain unverified, but their circulation underscores the broader atmosphere of mistrust and insecurity in the region.
Dr. Andualem was widely respected for his leadership at Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital. As Addis Standard notes, he performed the hospital’s first surgery, strengthened surgical standards, trained young professionals, and declined international opportunities in order to remain in Ethiopia and continue improving the surgical department.
Bahir Dar University’s senate honored him by renaming the surgical ward after him and announcing several memorial initiatives: free higher education for his children, a job placement for his wife at Bahir Dar Technology Institute, a scholarship in his name, and plans to erect a statue on campus. The senate described him as “an exemplary professional” who “selflessly used his talents” to serve patients and train future medical staff.
The university emphasized that Dr. Andualem’s death was not an isolated event, pointing to the earlier killing of Adnew Belete, head of general services at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. It called on authorities to conduct “thorough investigations” and ensure all responsible parties are held to account, a call that has taken on added weight amid the ongoing public dispute over the true circumstances of the killing.
