Rescue Ganiyat Popoola, other medical doctors now

That Dr. Ganiyat Popoola of the National Eye Hospital, Kaduna is still in the den of those who kidnapped her almost 10 months ago, and after millions of naira have been paid as ransom is not only disheartening, it portrays Nigeria as a country where the value placed on human life is next to zero. The kidnap siege on doctors signposts failure of government for the country. Popoola must be rescued now.

Aside of the regular attacks on hapless communities, incidents such as that involving Dr. Popoola portray Nigeria as a patently unsafe country, given the length of time the victim has been held captive; and given also that her husband and some members of her family who were initially abducted were let go. In some other countries, security forces could have leveraged on information from those released to engage the kidnappers and secure her release. The manner she has been kept in perpetual and criminal detention has a way of directly or indirectly retarding the progress of the nation.

All the unimaginable happenings in Nigeria, particularly the escalating insecurity, and the constant failure of the authorities to tackle them are to the knowledge of the whole world.Nigeria cannot continue to pretend or tell lies; the government must wake up to the responsibility of ensuring safety of life and property.

In a sane society, where the life of every citizen matters and the authorities are always on alert to ensure that nobody suffers unjustly, Dr. Popoola would have been rescued and the family as well as her professional colleagues who have severally staged protest against her abduction would have been spared the harrowing experience they are now undergoing. It is sad to know that there are many other families suffering similar trauma of having their loved ones held captive by kidnappers, mostly in the northern part of the country where terrorism and kidnapping have become endemic for more than a decade and the criminality has become seemingly intractable.

It is horrendous. It is unacceptable. Governments, particularly the federal government that controls security paraphernalia, have a task of proving to the whole world that there is government in Nigeria, ready to fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting the citizens and other nationals living in Nigeria. There should be no excuse. Nothing should take precedence over the safety of the citizens and their property because they are the most crucial in the life of every country. Nobody should suffer unjustly. Everything should be done to ensure that the innocent woman regains her freedom.

Dr. Popoola was abducted along with her husband, Nurudeen Popoola, a squadron leader, and a nephew, Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, when terrorists raided the staff quarters of the National Eye Care, Kaduna on December 27, 2023. After negotiation with the kidnappers, the husband was released on March 8, 2024, but the doctor and Abdul-Mugniy were not released despite the payment of N120 million ransom.

There has been public anger and protests by medical doctors and other health workers across the country since Dr. Popoola was kidnapped. It was learnt that, apart from Popoola,no fewer than 32 medical doctors are still in captivity, according to President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Dr Innocent Abah, “As I speak with you right now, we have about 32 of our members currently in captivity. Some were noted to have died. For some, ransom has been paid, but they have not been reunited with their families. Some are alive, but our data shows that about 32 of our members are currently in captivity.”

Abah identified those abducted in 2021 as Dr Akindele Kayode (January 4), Dr Oladunni Odetola (April 4), Dr Solomon Ndiamaka (July 19), Dr Edmund Akpaikpe (November 19), Dr Zubair Erubu (December 9) and Dr Saidu Bala (December 10). Those kidnapped in 2022 include Dr Samuel Audu (January 9), Dr Felix Ekpo (February 22), Dr Bulama (March 15), Dr Chinelo Megafu (March 28), and Dr Steven Baashaw (December 10).

The 2023 list includes Prof. Ekanem Phillip (July 13), Dr Orockarrah Orock (November 4), and Dr Popoola (December 27).Those that have been taken since the beginning of 2024 are Dr John Robin Esu (April 30), Dr Gimba’s Family (June 27), Dr Steven Ezeh (August 15), and Dr Olufunke Fadahunsi (August 23).

It was gathered, however, that five others­-Dr Luis Onyeukwu (August 15, 2024), Dr Asema Msuega (July 23, 2023), Dr Nwoga Innocent and Dr Obadiah Etito (May 13, 2023) and Dr Alex Igyemwase (November 22, 2022) have been released by their captors.

The consistent kidnap of medical doctors across the country is greatly worrisome.There have been speculations that doctors were being targeted because the kidnappers’ need them for medical services at their hideouts and to treat other victims. This is unacceptable, unjustifiable and patently criminal.

Government should mobilize the security agencies to rescue Popoola. Doctors have protested and may still embark on nationwide industrial action that could lead to loss of lives of innocent people. The government should also ensure freedom for other people who are now languishing in the captivity of these criminals.

To check the escalating insecurity, government at all levels should make a conscious move to provide employment for the teeming jobless youths, with a view to dissuading them from joining criminal gangs and groups to unleash terror on the country. The millions of children who are out of school in the country are a threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria because they are prone to being recruited by terrorists to perpetrate their heinous crimes in the country. No effort should be spared in getting them to the classrooms and keeping them engaged afterwards.

At a time many medical practitioners are leaving Nigeria due to safety concern and poor welfare, those who choose to stay back in the country deserve not only physical safety but also health security and good welfare. Public health officers are the hope of the majority of Nigerians and should be protected. It is a task the government should do to save Nigeria and Nigerians the embarrassment and pain caused by the cruel treatment of innocent people in the country.