KIDNAPPERS of the University of
Calabar staff have demanded N60
million as ransom from the family
members.
Two staff of UNICAL, Mrs Ndifon and
Dr. David Ini Ama (nurse and medical
doctor) respectively with UCTH as
well as the little daughter of Mrs
Ndifon were, on Monday, abducted by
gunmen.
The kidnappers were said to have
stormed the university staff quarters
in a speedboat, opened fire and later
whisked away their victims through the
Obufa Esuk River adjoining the staff
quarters at about 8.00pm.
But 48 hours after, the abductors
demanded N60 million before the three
of them could be released.
Investigations by Daily Sun revealed
that the kidnappers called yesterday
demanding that each of the two
families should pay N30 million as
ransom to secure their release.
Condemning the act, Chairman of
Nigeria Medical Association (NMA),
University of Calabar branch, Dr.
Offiong Ikpeme, described the
abduction, as barbaric and wondered
why doctors whose responsibility was to
save life had become targets of
kidnappers.
Ikpeme told newsmen in her office
yesterday that NMA would meet other
affiliate unions in the hospital and
the university to find a way of getting
their members out from the
kidnappers’ den.
She said if all entreaties failed, the
NMA and other unions might be forced
to down tools to protest the assault
on their members, disclosing that three
of their colleagues had already got
threat messages to be kidnapped if
they don’t cooperate.
The chairman said: “We condemn
strongly the kidnapping of our
colleagues and a little daughter by
hoodlums. We got information that Dr.
David was shot on the foot before
they took him away. This is worrisome
because we are afraid of his health
situation.”