NMA demands effective synergy among security agencies

Mon, Aug 12, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Health

The  Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has advocated for effective collaboration between the army, police and other paramilitary agencies to tame kidnapping, banditry and other crimes in Nigeria.

Dr Philip Ekpe, the Chairman FCT Chapter of the association, made the call while briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

Ekpe said two doctors were kidnapped in Taraba and Benue axis and they were yet to be released by their abductors for over four to five months.

The chairman, who did not mention the names of the affected doctors due to some security reasons, said ransom were paid but the Kidnappers fail to release the victims.

He added the NMA has written to all relevant security apparatus on the matter and the association was hopeful over the release of their members.

The chairman said that the association was worried over the abduction of the doctors and other members of the society in some parts of the country.

He recalled that about two months ago doctors were serially kidnapped in Cross River until the doctors in the state dropped their tools before they abducted doctors were released.

“The question we are asking is that what is our security outfits doing to address these challenges.

“Can we say the action of the security outfits in the country is good enough especially the news that is going everywhere on the rift between the police and army.

“At the end of the day our people (the medical doctors) are still in kidnappers den.

“If we as civilians were watching the police and army making this arguments and blames then what is our hope? we are therefore left confuse and hopeless,” he said.

He said rising cases of kidnapping in the country has a serious effect on the delivery of quality healthcare services to the people.

“Imaging if a doctor is called for an emergency and it is in the night, worried and scared of kidnapping he may become reluctant to attend to the patient.

“After all, doctors were kidnapped in the line of duty; this is really affecting us and making us to be uneasy to attend to emergencies especially when a doctor needs to move from one point to the other,” Ekpe said.

The chairman added that kidnapping and banditry was also fueling brain drain because some doctors were leaving the country because they feel unsecure.

He lamented that it was becoming more difficult to travel by road to some parts of the country due to the fear of kidnapping and other security challenges.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address the challenge, stressing that it is his duty to ensure that Nigeria has adequate security.

“We are also calling on Nigerians to lend their voices towards ensuring that the arguments between the security agencies was put to an end,” he said.

Ekpe also advised Nigerians to be careful in their movement to ensure that they did not become vulnerable to Kidnappers. (NAN)

_AUG 12, 2019 @15:55 GMT |

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