UITH Doctors Stage Peaceful Protest in Ilorin over 7-month Abduction of Member 

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

Against the backdrop of non release of one its members, the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH) yesterday staged a peaceful protest over the seven-month abduction of their member in Kaduna.

It would be recalled that, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a medical practitioner at National Eye Care Kaduna, was abducted along with her husband and visiting nephew when bandits raided the staff quarters of the hospital, on December 27, 2023.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin, the President of the association, Dr. Yusuf Muhammed, said that “the association is losing their patience because of the inhumane treatment their member is receiving from captors.”

He said, “It is becoming very worrisome, so we continue to engage with the management on both the state and federal levels.

“We also try to meet with several security agencies to see what they are doing, but because of the sensitivity of the matter, they could not divulge some information.”

Muhammed lamented that their colleague is still in captivity for seven months and her release is yet to be granted.

“What we intend to do is to bring this discussion to the limelight, so that well-meaning Nigerians will see how to bring the discuss, and press home on the government to secure her release,” he said.

The president  stated that the national body; Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) , has given the government two weeks to bring back the abducted member.

According to him, “August 16th marks the end of first week and that it is expected at the end of the second week, the abducted colleague would be released”.

He warned that failure to secure her release, the national body will embark on industrial action.

Muhammed advised the government at all tiers to beef up security around institutions and the country as a whole.

“This is a sad reminder to the insecurity that is bedeviling the country and we feel that this is another call for the government to rise to the occasion in beefing up the security in work places to make it safe,” he said.