Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) Osun State Chapter on Friday staged a peaceful protest to demand the unconditional release of their colleague Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who was abducted last year on December 27th, 2023, at her residence in Kaduna.
New Telegraph reports that Dr. Popoola was kidnapped alongside her husband and nephew. Her husband was released after spending weeks in captivity, leaving the wife, who is a breastfeeding mother, still held captive.
The protesting doctors turned out in large numbers and carried placards with various inscriptions such as “All we are saying, bring back Ganiyat”, “we want unconditional release of Dr Ganiyat among others
Addressing journalists at the end of the peaceful protest, which took place within the premises of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, President ARD Osun State chapter, Dr. Ojo Damilola John said, if their request for prompt intervention and release of their colleague is not yielded, they may have no option but to down tool to press home their demand.
Dr John said that the ARD has lost patience with the government’s inaction over the abduction, saying their colleague and her nephew who have in captivity have suffered physical, emotional and psychological trauma.
He called on the government and security agents to ensure Dr Ganiya and her nephew released alive.
“Our demands as the Association of Medical Doctor of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital is to join all other Nigerian Doctors to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Ganiyat and her nephew and reunite them with their immediate family.
“We want to appeal to the security agents and all other stakeholders to ensure Dr Ganiyat and her nephew are released unconditionally because injury to one is an injury to all”
Echoing a similar views, the Vice President 1 of the National Association of Resident Doctors, (NARD), Dr Ilori Solomon, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Olawale-Popoola and her nephew.
Solomon who emphasized the critical role that healthcare professionals like the doctor play in society, particularly during these challenging times said that the association will embark on industrial action on August 26 if Dr Popoola is not freed by then.
He called on all relevant authorities and security agencies to intensify efforts in securing the release of the doctor and her nephew.
He said: “Our demand is simple. In a book they said all animals are equal but we know some are more equal than others. I just image , if it were to be the daughter, or wife, or sister of any of the leader at the helms of affairs that has been incarcerated for the past seven months, would she still be there in captivity?”
“I think this is a country where we advocate equal rights. We need the federal government to stand up for the right of Dr Ganiyat Popoola who has been incarcerated for the past for seven months, let her be released immediately.
Failure to release Dr Ganiyat come August 26 all the Doctors in this country will have to down tool until Dr Ganiyat is released”, he said.
Recall that Dr Ganiyat Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Dr Ganiyat and her nephew remain in captivity.