Doctors in Kaduna Threaten Strike Over Abduction Of Former NMA President

Medical Practitioners in Kaduna State under the auspices, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) have issued an ultimatum to the State Government and Police authorities to fish out the abductors of Dr. Stephen Kitchener or risk having activities at the hospitals in the state totally paralysed. This is following the abduction of the 74 year old medical doctor in Zaria Kaduna State, North West Nigeria on Tuesday. Dr. Kitchner, a former President of NMA was abducted from his Tukur residence in the evening of Tuesday after the kidnappers tricked him out of his house, pretending to be his patients. So far, according to his wife, Mrs Gloria Kitchener, nobody has contacted the family to demand for anything or to tell them the reason for the abduction. Chairman of the Kaduna State branch of Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Aliyu Bappa, while briefing journalists on the development on Thursday, said that his members would not hesitate to down tools should the abductors fail to release him within the shortest period. Condemning the incident as abominable, he appealed to law enforcement agents in the state to step up action to free the old medical doctor, adding that the abduction of such an iconic doctor poses an immediate danger to the actualisation of Universal Health Coverage as currently advocated by the association and the Federal Government. Spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, Aminu Lawal, said that the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, were making progress, and that very soon they would get to the kidnappers.