Judex Okoro, Calabar
Kidnapping business has continued to boom in Cross River State as a medical doctor and three others have been abducted in Calabar, capital of the state.
This is happening even as there is 6am to 6pm curfew imposed on the state by Governor Ben Ayade following the wanton destruction and looting of public and private property by hoodlums in the guise of #EndSARS protest.
Daily Sun gathered that Dr Godwin Udo of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital UCTH was kidnapped on November 1, 2020 at his residence on Bateba Street about 7pm.
A witness said the kidnappers numbering about five stormed his residence while he was trying to drive into his compound and surrounded him.
At the gate, the hoodlums pounced on him and bundled him into his car and sped off to unknown destination.
A family source said the abductors only called about 2am yesterday and demanded N7million as ransom.
Besides the doctor, one Emmanuel Asuquo was said to be have been kidnapped at Atimbo axis and later released last week after his friends and family parted with the sum of N2.4m as ransom just as another victim, identified as Okeke Onukwube, was whisked away on Friday, last week, and was said to have regained freedom on Monday.
It was also learnt that a trader, Nsikak Etiene, who resides at Anantigha in Calabar South, was also kidnapped along the River bank within Calabar South on their return from Oron where they went for a business trip.
A witness, Madam Inyang, said the hoodlums just drove their speedboat and suddenly stopped in their front and then pulled out a gun and took the victim into their boat and zoomed off.
Last September, about four persons were kidnapped in Calabar metropolis, including Vivien Otu, a paediatrician with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Mr Effiom Edem Asuquo was also kidnapped. Promise Inyang Edet was allegedly kidnapped in her residence at Ibesikpo Street, Calabar South.
Other victims include Dr. Anthony Egbe, a lecturer in the Cross River State University of Technology, CRUTECH, who was abducted on August 29, 2020 at Asabanka, Akpabuyo and Mr. Joe Offiong, a safety department staff of UNICEM, who was abducted last month. Both are said to have been released after payment of ransom to the abductors.
The police public relations officer in the state, Irene Ugbo, confirmed that the abduction of the Dr Udo but said the command is working round the clock to track his abductors.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Cross River chapter, yesterday began an indefinite strike over the kidnapping of its member, Dr Godwin Udo of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
Dr Innocent Abang, the state Chairman of NMA disclosed in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Calabar.
He said that the association had decided that anytime a medical doctor or his/her dependent was kidnapped, they would embark on an indefinite strike until the victim was released.