The abductors of a doctor in Kogi State, Austin Uwumagbe, have demanded N80million ransom from his family, before he can be freed, The Nation reports.
Suspected kidnappers last week abducted Uwumagbe, who is the Director of Victory Hospital-Annex, in Ogaminana, Adavi Local Government.
The kidnappers, who had earlier made contact with the family on Sunday night, were said to have called the following day, demanding N80million ransom for his release.
Following his abduction, doctors in the state on Tuesday protested on the streets of Lokoja, the capital.
Also, some oficials of the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), directed total shutdown of health facilities, including private hospitals across the state.
Confirming the development to The Nation yesterday, Zainab Mohammed (not real name), who spoke from Obajana, close to Lokoja, said she became stranded on Monday, when she sought medical attention in the capital.
According to her, a nagging knee problem took her to Lokoja, but she returned unattended to, both at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), and subsequently, at other hospitals she ran to
She stated: “A knee problem that has been worrying me made me go to Lokoja, on Monday. I went to FMC, but doctors said they were not working. I later went to some other places (private hospitals), but their services were disrupted, by others from FMC…they said they are all on strike.”
Visit to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, on Wednesday, confirmed spread of the strike action.
State chairman of the NMA, Dr Olusola Baoku had lamented that medical practitioners in Kogi have always been victims of criminality.
The kidnappers were said to have called the family to demand N80M million to free him.
The source, whose identity cannot be revealed, for obvious reasons, confirmed that a member of the gang called to place the ransom demand.
