Nasarawa resident doctors give 2 weeks ultimatum to President Tinubu to direct security chiefs to rescue Dr. Popoola-Olawale

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Muhammed Ogwu, Lafia

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Nasarawa State chapter has given President Bola Tinubu two weeks ultimatum to give a matching order to the security chiefs to ensure the release of Dr. Ganiyat Olabisi Popoola-Olawale who was kidnapped in December, 2023.

The unfortunate incident occured at about 1:00am on Wednesday 27th December, 2023 at National Eye Centre in Kaduna.

The peaceful protest which started at about 7:am down to the administrative blocks of the Dalhatu Arafat Specialist Hospital (DASJH), Lafia and passed through the emergency unit and ended at exactly 10: am in the morning.

The doctors who carried placards with various inscriptions such as, “Please help find Dr. Ganiyat Olabisi Popoola-Olawale,” “Free Dr. popoola now,” “bring back Dr. Popoola,” and “We demand the immediate release of Dr. Popoola.”

Our correspondent also reports that, Dr. Ganiyat Olabisi Popoola-Olawale was abducted alongside with her husband Squadron leader Nurudeen Popoola and the husband’s nephew Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, a student of Airforce Technology Institute (AFIT), who was staying with them.

Speaking to journalists immediately after the peaceful protest, that last four hours, Dr. Adeleke Yakubu-Ademola, the state president of ARD, disclosed that after several efforts and negotiations, the husband was released on 7th March, 2024, adding that since the incident, the abductors have called severally at will and spoke with the member of the family on Wednesday 24th July, 2024 to proof that they are both alive.

According to him, the husband was released on 8th of March 2024.

While registry their displeasure before Dr. Aboji Aboji, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, DASH who received the angry doctors on behalf of the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Hassan Ikrama noted that if at the end of the two weeks ultimatum given to the federal government by the association to rescue her they would be forced to declare indefinite industrial action for the sake of their colleague.

His words, “We are here to express our displeasure on the abduction of Dr. Olabisi Popoola-Olawale alongside her husband Squadron leader Nurudeen Popoola and the husband’s nephew {Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, a student of Airforce Technology Institute (AFIT), who was staying with them.”

He continued, “The president of the Nigeria Association Resident Doctors who addressed journalists about the resolution of the residents doctors in the country about the abduction of one of our colleagues stated that the two weeks ultimatum had been extended to federal government to ensure her immediate release unhurt.”

He, however, used the opportunity to appeal to the Nasarawa state governor Abdullahi Sule to as a matter of urgency facilitate the military post in Shabu Development area of Lafia local government area of the state where the kidnappers have made their colony, revealing that about few weeks ago, one of their colleagues was kidnapped and later released from the hands of his abductors.

He then appreciated the effort of the state government and security operatives in the state for their timely intervention in rescuing their colleges from the hands of the kidnappers.

Earlier, while recieving the protesters resident doctors on behalf of the CMD, Dr. Aboji Aboji, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, DASH sympathized with the angry doctors and noted that it was a painful and sympathetic situation they have been going through since their colleagues was kidnapped by kidnappers in Kaduna state.

He said, “The agony for our colleagues, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, her families and indeed the entire health sector across the country it is quite sad. The victim must be going through a lot of truama and unfortunately rescue has not come. We will continue to maintain our hopes and pray for her safe released.

“We are also calling on both the federal government and Kaduna state government to do everything humanily possible to ensure her immediate release alongside others victims that were abducted who are still in captivity,” he added.