Resident doctors threaten strike over colleague’s prolonged captivity

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened a strike on August 26 over the abduction and prolonged stay in captivity of one of their colleagues, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, a Registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, who has been in the hands of her abductor for over seven months.

According to the medical professionals, Ganiyat was abducted alongside her husband and nephew on December 27, 2023, at the staff quarters of the National Eye Centre Kaduna. But while her husband was released in March, Ganiyat and her nephew remain in captivity.

NARD President, Dr Dele Abdullahi Olaitan, who made the threat at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, called for immediate action from the Federal Government, Kaduna State government and security agencies to ensure the immediate release of the remaining victims.

He observed that upon receiving the information on Ganiyat’s abduction, the association notified all security agencies, requesting immediate action. Olaitan added that NARD also notified the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Kaduna State government.

He said the association had written several letters to security agencies, the Federal Government and the Kaduna State government, but was yet to see any significant action, adding that NARD had resolved to organise a national press conference and a protest in all tertiary hospitals across the federation to demand Ganiyat’s release.

His words: “We’ve been engaging, but we’ve not actually had any opportunity to have any personal engagement with the security agencies and the state or federal government regarding this sad situation. The association will embark on industrial action on August 26 if Dr Popoola is not freed by. It’s appalling that in a country where we want healthcare providers to stay, one of us has been incarcerated for over seven months and 17 days without any form of relief or directive on how the rescue mission will proceed.”