Kidnappers demand N200m for abducted Niger radiographer
A newly-inducted radiographer, Basherah Ojedeyi, has been abducted by kidnappers while travelling from Sokoto State to Osun State to resume an internship.This is just as the family said the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N200m before she would be released.
Ojedeyi’s abduction comes barely one week after a newly-called-to-the-bar lawyer, Peace Udoka Onyesom, was kidnapped alongside her sister, Gift, while they were returning from the ceremony in Abuja. It was learnt on Wednesday from a family source of the victim, who pleaded anonymity, that Ojedeyi was returning to Osogbo, Osun State, to resume her internship with one of the state-owned hospitals when she was abducted.The family source told our correspondent that Ojedeyi was inducted into the professional radiographers’ association last week and was scheduled to resume her internship this week.
According to the family source, the victim had left Sokoto on Sunday, and on Monday, she informed the family that the vehicle she boarded developed a fault at Mokwa in Niger State.The source said, “She was inducted last week as a radiographer. She left Sokoto for Osogbo on Sunday, a journey which usually takes 18 hours.“On Monday, around 2 p.m., she called us to say that her vehicle had developed a fault at Mokwa, Niger State, and that they were fixing it. After that, she was not reachable.“ We called her several times till evening, and her number was not reachable.
We began to suspect that something was wrong.”The source noted that the kidnappers contacted the family on Tuesday and informed them that their daughter had been kidnapped.“We received a call on Tuesday morning that she had been kidnapped and that we should go and get N200m for her release, or they would kill her. “We informed them that we could not afford such an amount, but they are sticking to the N200m demand which we cannot afford,” the source added.
The source noted that a family member in Sokoto reported the incident to the police commissioners in Sokoto and Niger states.When contacted on Tuesday, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, and his counterpart in Sokoto, Rufai Ahmad, said they would verify the incident and get back to our correspondent.They had yet to do so at the time of filing this report.Meanwhile, the National President of the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria, Dr Musa Dambele, in a statement sent to our correspondent on Tuesday, condemned the abduction.
The ARN president described the abduction as an attack on healthcare professionals across the country.He stated, “The Association of Radiographers of Nigeria is heartbroken and outraged at the abduction of our beloved colleague, Rad. Basheerah Ojedeyi, who was kidnapped on her way home after celebrating one of the most important days of her life – her induction into the radiography profession.This cruel act has turned a moment of joy into a nightmare. Rad. Basheerah, a young woman with boundless potential and a promising future in service to humanity, now faces unimaginable danger at the hands of her abductors.
The demand of N200,000,000 ransom is beyond outrageous; it is inhuman, and it places an irreplaceable life at grave risk.”Dambele urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and all security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of Ojedeyi.“Every second counts. Her safe release must be treated as a national priority. We demand decisive action against this wave of insecurity that continues to torment innocent Nigerians, particularly our health workers who dedicate their lives to saving others.
We appeal to the conscience of her abductors: release her unconditionally. Do not destroy the life of a young professional who has chosen a path of service and sacrifice.We also call on all Nigerians to stand with us, raise your voices, spread this message, and keep Rad. Basheerah in your prayers. Let us show that in the face of fear and cruelty, we remain united in compassion and justice,” Dambele concluded.
The menace of kidnapping seems to be on the increase in recent times across the country.In February, a member of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Ibadan, Oyo State, Rofiat Lawal, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen along the Benin-Ore Expressway. She was, however, released after her family paid a ransom of N1m.Similarly, on September 9, the Kogi State Vigilante Services confirmed the abduction of three passengers of an 18-seater Toyota bus at Aku village along the Okene-Lokoja Expressway.
