The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has threatened to withdraw their services nationwide if their fellow Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who has been in the hands of kidnappers, is not released by August 26.
Dr Dele Abdullahi, the National President of NARD, gave the threats during a press briefing organised on Wednesday by the organization in Abuja, the nation’s capital; he noted that the association, which has been patient since the taken to custody of their member, lost its patience.
The abducted medical practitioner, Dr Ganiyat, before her abduction, was the registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, in the northern part of the country. Her abduction took place on December 27, 2023; she was abducted alongside her husband and nephew. The husband was released in March 2024, but the abductors held back the medical practitioner and the nephew.
Speaking on different efforts from the association, the chairman explained that when the association was notified of the incident, a written notification was sent to all security formations in order to ensure a prompt release of their colleague.
According to the president of the Nigerian Medical Association, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Kaduna State Government were all notified by the association about their colleague’s abduction.
He noted that in a country like Nigeria, where the need for healthcare providers is rising on a daily basis, there is a need to protect the lives and properties of such individuals, which will be a motivation for them to remain in the country despite the surge in migration of health workers.
Abdullahi explained that all the several letters written to security agencies, the federal government, and the Kaduna State Government have all proved abortive as nothing significant has been done regarding the release.
He further stated that the association has been engaging on several occasions regarding the abduction but has not had the opportunity to meet the security agencies on face-to-face engagement, as well as the state and federal governments.
Confirming the plans of the organization, he noted that NARD has decided to hold a press conference and a protest walk in all tertiary hospitals nationwide to call for the release of Dr Ganiyat, who has been in captivity for months. He further confirmed that the association will also embark on an industrial action on August 26 if the victim is not released as soon as possible.
He went further to appreciate the efforts of the security agencies but urged the government to be more proactive in the efforts to rescuing the abducted doctor.
Kaduna state has been at the centre of security challenges in the country with a series of abductions and terror attacks in the state.
