Five months after a professor of Neurology at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Dr Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, was kidnapped in Calabar, Cross River State, her whereabouts has remained unknown.
Though a source in the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, told Saturday PUNCH that there was no information about the abducted doctor, the state Police Command expressed optimism that the medical doctor would be released.
Speaking with our correspondent, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, said the command and the Navy had been in search of the doctor who was kidnapped on July 13 by hoodlums who disguised as patients.
Ugbo revealed that the command was aware that the doctor was taken to the riverine area of the state, adding that efforts had been intensified to rescue her.
She said, “We are trying all we can to make sure she is released. We know that the terrain is a waterline area and a little bit difficult for us to patrol. Although we have marine police, we don’t have enough facilities for it.
“We are working with the Navy and they are helping us to make sure that she is being rescued. So, what you will do for us is to pray and hope together, that her release will be possible.
“Our hope is still very high that she is alive. Whatever it is eventually, whether alive or not, we want to see what has happened to her because we were on the verge of a fresh rescue when it failed.
“That was when they (kidnappers) took her to the other side. We are working very hard and the governor also gave us funds that we need for her rescue.”
According to her, efforts to rescue her earlier failed after her family allegedly attempted to pay the ransom demanded without the involvement of the police.
“There was a time when ransom was asked, that was when we worked a little with the family members but they did not give us the full details. They first of all took the police out of the show; maybe they thought they could do it on their own.
“Based on our information, the kidnappers found that the police were unto them, and that was when the issue became very difficult, but we are on it and we are not relenting.”
Saturday PUNCH reports that since the kidnapping of the doctor, several medical associations have made calls for the deployment of resources to ensure their colleague’s release, even as the state government also said it was intensifying efforts to ensure her release.
