Medical Association Decries Abduction of Its Neurology Professor in Calabar

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has decried the abduction of one of its professor in neurology Prof Ekanem Phillip-Ephraim.

In a joint statement signed by the President of the association Dr. Victor Makanjuola and Secretary General Dr. Yemi Raji, they noted that it has been a harrowing 48 days since the Prof was forcibly taken from her residence in Calabar, Cross River State, with no contact from her captors, shrouding her current condition in uncertainty.

The association explained that the kidnapping of Prof Phillip-Ephraim has drawn attention to the escalating security crisis in Calabar, as citizens are increasingly falling victim to unchecked abductions.

They said the situation has created an atmosphere of anxiety that hangs over both the professional and personal lives of residents in the city and the entire state.

The association further noted that statistics has shown that not fewer than 14 doctors have been kidnapped in Calabar within just five years, which has shaken the confidence in the ability of the Cross River State Police Command to curb this alarming trend.

The association in response to this crisis, has earlier issued a letter dated August 21, 2023, which was sent to the Inspector General of Police, urging him to mobilize a special investigative team to uncover the truth behind this latest incident, which adds to the growing list of unsolved abductions.

MDCAN therefore called on the public to join them in demanding that government authorities at all levels prioritize the security and safety of Nigerian citizens.

They vehemently refuse to accept this incident as yet another unsolved kidnapping.

The association also announced that it will commence a nationwide call for attention in all its chapters across the country to this unresolved crime and a plea for swift action to bring Prof Phillip-Ephraim and others in similar situations back to safety.