The Nigerian Medical Association has threatened to close hospitals in Rivers State in response to the spate of kidnapping of its members.
The NMA Secretary for Rivers State, Dr. Hope Avundaa, said this on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the state’s capital.
Dr. Avundaa was responding to the abduction of one of their own, Dr. Steven Bagshaw, who was being posted at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital at the time.
Dr. Bagshaw, a senior registrar with the Rivers State Government, was reportedly abducted as he was coming from work at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday In the Rumuokoro neighborhood of the state’s Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. His home was next to a new generation bank.
Dr. Avundaa said, “The Rivers State NMA is preparing to implement our anti-kidnap protocol of shutting down all facilities in the state.
“We encourage members to be safety conscious and take appropriate security measures this period.
“The NMA Rivers State has reached out to security agents, the State Director, Department of State Services, Rivers State Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations.”
The NMA scribe stated that the body had spoken to Dr. Avundaa’s wife and was helping her through this difficult period, while noting that the abductors had contacted the family.
The state has seen an increase in kidnapping cases over the past month.
Gunmen abducted a victim on Monday night, December 12, 2022, near the intersection of Road 10 and Akwaka Phase 2 in Rumuodomaya, Obio/Akpor LGA of the state.
According to reports, the shooters followed their victim to the location, stopped the car she was in, hauled her out, and then sped off.
In a related issue, two women were abducted at a drugstore along NTA Road in Port Harcourt last Tuesday along the Apara link road.
This occurred at the same time as the state commissioner of police, Okon Effiong, gave cults and other criminal organizations a 10-day deadline to turn over any firearms they may have in their hands or face prosecution after the grace period had expired.
He bemoaned the large number of firearms that were in the possession of unauthorized individuals in the state and declared that the police under his command would not put up with criminals committing all kinds of crimes and upsetting Rivers’ calm.
