15th March, 2019
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Dr Peter Igwedibia, a Dentist with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, who was kidnapped at about 7.pm on Wednesday, March 13, at the hospital gate has regained his freedom.
Our Correspondent learnt from family sources and fellow colleagues in hospital who want to remain anonymous that the medical doctor was set free on night of Thursday, March 14.
It will be recalled Dr Igwedibia and his wife had rushed their four months old sick daughter for urgent medical attention in UPTH when they were intercepted by armed hoodlums around the hospital gate.
The criminals threw out the wife and daughter from the car after dispossessing them of all the personal effects, including the wife’s phones and drove off with the traumatized medical doctor.
Speaking earlier on the abduction of Dr Igwedibia, the Presdent of Association of Resident Doctors in UPTH, Dr Richie Agiri, said that the abducted doctor was rushing his sick four months old daughter to the hospital at the time.
“His daughter was sick. He and the wife and the sick daughter were intercepted on their way to hospital. They threw out the wife and baby and drove off with the doctor inside the car into the bush”.
Dr Richie Igiri had pleaded with the Police and security agents to commence immediate investigation into the kidnap, which he described as one to many.
From the time of the doctor’s kidnap and eventual release, neither the Police or UPTH have issued official statement on the matter.
The frequency of kidnapping of medical doctors in the State abated for a while after the Nigerian Medical Association Rivers State under the former Chairman Dr. Ibitrokoemi Kurubo, who led several public protests to Government House Port Harcourt and the Police headquarters, Moscow road, Port Harcourt.
Besides, medical doctors plying major link roads into Rivers State capital beyond 4pm are at a high risk of being kidnapped. Commercial buses are regularly hijacked with passengers taken hostage for ransom. The roads are East-West road Choba to Mbiama junction in Bayelsa state and Omagwa to Omerelu to Imo state.