The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if their abducted colleague, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, is not released by August 26.
Dr. 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. Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
The President of NARD, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, made this declaration at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, stating that the association has lost patience with the government’s inaction over the abduction.
Abdullahi noted that the association has written several letters to security agencies, the federal government, and the Kaduna State Government, but has seen no significant action.
“We’ve been engaging, but we’ve not actually had any opportunity to have any personal engagement with the security agencies and the state or federal government regarding this sad situation,” he said.
The association will embark on industrial action on August 26 if Dr. Popoola is not freed by then. NARD has also resolved to organize a national press conference and a protest march in all tertiary hospitals across the nation to demand Dr. Popoola’s release.
The association appreciated the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians and security agencies but urged the government to take concrete steps to rescue their colleague.
“It’s appalling that in a country where we want healthcare providers to stay, one of us has been incarcerated for over seven months and 17 days without any form of relief or directive on how the rescue mission will proceed,” Abdullahi added.
