By Godwin Ajom
Resident Doctors at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) are protesting the unconditional and immediate release of kidnapped colleague Dr. Ganiyat Popoola who was kidnapped eight months ago from National Eye Center Kaduna State.
The Doctors told CrossRiverWatch that Dr. Popoola was kidnapped alongside her husband and Niece. Her husband was released leaving her and the nephew in captivity for 8 months.
Singing solidarity songs and armed with placards with various inscriptions such as “bring back Ganiyat”, “A Doctor’s life matters” and so many others, all asking for the safe rescue and release of the kidnaped doctor.
Addressing the Press, President of the Association of Resident Doctors UCTH branch Dr. Egor Edim expressed displeasure over the continuous captivity of their colleague. “For eight months, we’ve had our colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who was abducted from National Eye Center Kaduna, captured alongside her husband and nephew.”
He continued: “The husband was released in March, leaving her in captivity. We are canvassing support to call on the government and others authorities to end kidnapping in Nigeria. For the past eight months, they’ve been communicating with the family up to about one week ago, but we heard some ransom has been paid, but they’re still holding her captive despite all efforts.”
On her part, “The Vice President of the ARD Doctors UCTH branch, Ekama Egbe said, “I feel so bad, since I heard the news, I’ve been emotionally down. I am a mother and a wife and I know how much mothers can miss their families, imagine the kidnapped Doctor unable to have access to her family for so long as eight months. We even heard her health is failing, so it’s disheartening.”
They appealed to the government to swing into action and rescue Ganiyat.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that the solidarity protest held at all Teaching Hospitals across the country.
