Protesting Abuja doctors demand abducted colleague’s release

Members of the Association of Resident Doctors at the National Hospital in Abuja on  Monday held a peaceful protest over the kidnap of their colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna State.

Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye  Centre, Kaduna, was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew.

While her husband was released in March, Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.

Meanwhile, the national body of resident doctors, the Nigerian Association of  Resident Doctors notified 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 about the incident.

It has also written letters to security agencies, the Federal Government, and the Kaduna State Government but has seen ‘no significant action’.

During the protest on Monday at the hospital premises, the doctors requested the release of their colleague.

Some placards wielded by the protesters read, ‘Free Dr Ganiyat Popoola, help bring Ganiyat home safely,’ ‘Rescue Dr. Ganiyat now,’ ‘Please, help bring Dr Ganiyat home,’ ‘Injury to one is an injury to all,’ and ‘Doctors are crying, help us save her’.

Speaking with our correspondent, the ARD President at the hospital, Dr. Lanre-Aremo Babajide, said that if Popoola is not rescued, the doctors will embark on an indefinite strike on August 26, 2024.

Babajide implored the authorities to intensify their efforts to rescue Popoola,  adding that every second she remains in captivity is a second too long.

He said, “Our demand is simple: We want the government to intervene and free our colleague, Dr Popoola. We are calling on the Federal Government, the security chiefs, and the National Security Advisor to do so.

“There are people trained in rescuing abducted captives, so they should act immediately, and if she’s not rescued by August  26, we will embark on an indefinite strike as directed by our national body, NARD.

“We are aware that there are government negotiators. We are not saying that it is the government that kidnapped her, but we know that there are  government negotiators, and they have been doing that, so we are calling on the government to intervene now.”