Kidnapped: Resident Doctors Starts Seven Days Nationwide Warning Strike

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, has embarked on a seven-day warning strike over the abduction of their colleague, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, who has been in kidnappers’ den for eight months.

The President of NARD, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, announced the strike during a virtual emergency meeting of the National Executive Council held Sunday.

Abdullahi said the strike, which commenced at midnight on Monday, is a warning but totally in effect.

He said: “The strike is total, and there will be no concessions or emergency care during this period. All centres, both federal and state are to ensure full compliance even as proper handover of patients to Consultants should be done.
“Any centre found to have defaulted the decision of NARD would be fined heavily and denied participation in the forthcoming NARD AGM.”

A Registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, Dr. Popoola was abducted on December 27, 2023 with her husband and nephew.

Her husband was released in March, while Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity. Members of NARD had earlier protested in all tertiary hospitals across the country to demand Popoola’s release.