The Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto’s resident doctors, members of the National Association of Resident Doctors, have joined the association’s one-week warning strike.
In a phone interview with our correspondent on Monday afternoon, Dr. Uzairu Abdullahi, the chairman of the association at the hospital, confirmed their involvement.
The association is presently on strike in protest of their colleague Dr. Ganiyat Popoola’s kidnapping, which occurred approximately eight months ago in 2023.
The NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, told our correspondent on Sunday that the strike will start at 12 a.m. on Monday, August 26, 2024.
Abdullahi said that his members have joined their counterparts across the country to join the strike.
He said, “The warning strike is embarked upon by the association to press home our demands of the immediate rescue of one of our members, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, from bandits.
“She has been in captivity for too long and we believe it’s high time government and security agencies take her case more seriously.
“I can confirm to you that as we observe the strike here now, our colleagues at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kware have also joined the warning strike.”
Recall that eight months ago, bandits kidnapped the victim, a staff member of Kaduna Eye Center, along with her husband. Her husband was eventually freed, but the doctor remains in captivity.
Last week, NARD coordinated a nonviolent demonstration throughout all federal hospitals in the nation, pleading with authorities and security personnel to promptly save Ganiyat.
On December 27, 2023, Popoola, her husband, and her nephew were abducted; two of them are still being held captive.
NARD appealed for their prompt release in July, voicing concerns among the medical community.
The association revealed during the demonstrations that its members would go on a seven-day warning strike to emphasize their demands if they were unable to save their colleague by August 26.
They had given the government a two-week ultimatum demanding the members’ unconditional release.
