Four months after abduction, NMA laments C’River govt’s inability to rescue neurologist

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in Cross River State has lamented the inability of the state government to rescue the lead consultant of Neurology at the University Of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Professor Ekanem Ephraim.

Ephraim has so far spent about four months in the kidnappers den, having been kidnapped on July 13 this year around the Atimbo Axis of Calabar Municipality by unknown gunmen and taken into captivity.

Her whereabouts have remained unknown leaving many to speculate that she must have since been killed.

In early September 2023, Governor Bassey Otu announced that his government has acquired a technology to detect kidnappers and such criminals so that it would be almost impossible for kidnapping to thrive in the state.

But two days ago another professor, Patrick Egaga, a director of SERVICOM, was kidnapped in his house inside the UNICAL staff quarters.

In an interview with journalists in Calabar, chairman of NMA in the state, Dr Felix Archibong bemoaned Ephraim’s prolonged stay in captivity.

He regretted that security agencies and the state government have not been able to secure her release after several promises made to that effect.

He noted that the state has become inhabitable due to the activities of kidnappers as more persons have also been abducted after Ephraim’s abduction.

“This is the situation in the state and it is regrettable that our colleague is still in captivity after 116 days.

“We are trying so hard not to make industrial action another alternative to getting the government and security agencies to keep to their promises,” he stated.

The industrial action lasted for about 40 days resulting in healthcare crises in the state before it was called off.

Archibong said they had to call off the strike following continual pleas by the government, who assured that they would rescue the professor.