Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital appealed for the urgent and unconditional release of their colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola.
Popoola was abducted from her apartment in Kaduna December 2023.
The doctors held a solidarity walk around the Akammiri permanent site of the teaching hospital in Nnewi, on Tuesday visiting some wards and ending with a prayer session at the main gate.
They also called for the immediate release of 20 medical students abducted on the Otukpo-Enugu road on 15 August.
The doctors bore placards with varying inscriptions, including ‘Free Ganiyat from Kidnappers’, ‘Save Ganiyat’, and ‘Help Save Ganiyat’.
Dr Chiemezie Agbanu, President of ARD-NAUTH, said the solidarity walk was to join voices with the rest of Nigerians, especially doctors, to call for Popoola’s freedom from her kidnappers’ den for more than seven months.
Dr Adeyemo Adebiyi, Chairman of the ARD-NAUTH Strategy and Mobilisation Committee, represented Agbanu, said urgent steps should be taken to stop the spate of kidnappings of doctors.
“This solidarity walk is to call for the unconditional release of one of our colleagues, Popoola, who was kidnapped at the National Health Centre in Kaduna and still held in captivity for about seven months and 20 days,” he said.
Also, Dr Onyinye Ifezue, 1st Vice President of ARD-NAUTH, expressed concern about Popoola’s mental, psychological, and physical health, given her prolonged captivity.
On his part, Dr Nnaemeka Sibeudu, 2nd Vice President of ARD-NAUTH, condemned the kidnapping of any Nigerian, regardless of their profession, as a violation of their freedom of movement.(NAN)
