Doctors in Anambra have urged Governor Soludo and security agencies to secure the release of abducted neurosurgeon Dr. Tochukwu Mbanugo.
The association also issued a 72-hour ultimatum for his freedom.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State chapter, has appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo and security agencies to ensure the immediate release of their colleague, Dr. Tochukwu Mbanugo, who was kidnapped on October 30.
The association made the call in a communiqué jointly signed by its chairman, Dr. Obiaeli Ifeanyi, after an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) convened on Saturday.
Dr. Mbanugo, a consultant neurosurgeon at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, was reportedly kidnapped in front of the hospital at Uruagu, Nnewi, while returning home from work that evening.
The NMA said that as of the time of the meeting, the abductors had yet to contact the victim’s family, friends, or colleagues. The association urged the state government and relevant security agencies to take swift and decisive action to secure his release.
“A 72-hour ultimatum is hereby given to the Anambra State Government to secure the immediate release of our colleague, Dr. Tochukwu Mbanugo. If at the expiration of this timeline our member’s release is not secured, all doctors in Anambra under the NMA will withdraw their services until he is freed,” the communiqué stated.
It added that an emergency meeting would be convened after the 72-hour deadline to assess the progress made toward his release.
The association assured residents that doctors across the state remain committed to providing quality healthcare despite growing safety concerns but warned that continued insecurity could cripple medical services.
Efforts to reach the Anambra State Police Command for comments were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, did not respond to calls or messages.
