Kidnapped medical professionals releases in Cross River

The victims have been freed only a day after Medical Doctors went on strike to seek the release of their comrades who were recently kidnapped in Cross Rivers.

The news was verified on Tuesday by Dr. Felix Archiving, the state’s chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

Due to increased job insecurity, including the most recent kidnapping of two physicians on November 18, the doctors had announced an indefinite strike on Monday.

The two physicians were released early on Tuesday morning together with two other people, according to the NMA chairman, without having to pay a ransom.
The kidnappers had first sought a N100,000,000 ransom.

Mr. Archibong pointed out that the security agencies and the administration of Cross River made it easier for the four kidnapped people to go out.

The victims were freed without incident.

I can assure you that my two members have been freed; they were freed together with the other two people who had been kidnapped, he stated.

Along the Calabar-Ikom route, in Ekomita, two medical professionals and two other people were kidnapped on Friday.

The NMA began indefinite industrial action on Monday as a result of the kidnapping of the two physicians after the state government’s 48-hour window to obtain their release had passed.

Sule Balarabe, the state’s commissioner of police, has not yet returned calls or texts asking if arrests were made during the process of reclaiming control.