By Patrick Ahanor
Benin City
Gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, have reportedly abducted former Edo state chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Philip Ugbodaga and two other medical doctors.
The trio were said to have been taken hostage last Friday at Isu local government near Umuaka in Imo state, where they had gone on a friend’s request to offer free medical services to his community.
The identities of the two doctors were yet to be ascertained at the time of filling this report, but Blueprint gathered that the doctors barely arrived the destination when they were forcefully stopped at gunpoint and whisked away by their abductors.
Family members of the ex-NMA chair in Edo state were not keen at speaking to reporters yesterday because, according to a source close to them, the matter was already being investigated by the security operatives.
In his statement, the immediate past national president of the NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele, described the incident as “sad”.
“Dr Philip Ugbodaga was kidnapped by some faceless individuals. While I urge all to, fervently, pray for his speedy release, I commend all on-going efforts being made to secure his safe release.
“Undoubtedly, our brother’s kidnap is yet another reminder of the failure of the Nigerian state,” Enabulele stated.