Cross River: Fear grips abducted doctor’s family, 26 days after

The family members of Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a Neurology expert, with the entire medical community in Cross River State, are currently gripped with apprehension following the sudden and unexplained cessation of communication between the family and her abductors.

It has been over a week since any contact was established and there are no indications of the whereabouts or well-being of the abducted medical practitioner.

Prof. Ephraim, a lead consultant of neurology at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, was abducted from her residence in Calabar by gunmen posing as relations to a patient in dire need of medical attention.

Despite the cries of the Nigerria Medical Association, NMA, the hope of rescuing the victim alive seems to be fading away daily due to revelations by family sources.

Vanguard gathered that her abductors had kept the family in the dark despite collecting about N10 million, as an initial deposit in lieu of the agreed sum of N15 million, which was demanded for her freedom.

The silence of her captors has thrown the family, friends and colleagues into agony and despair given the prolonged stay of the abductee in captivity going into the fourth week.

A family source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said they paid over N9 million “but as we speak, no more communication from them for over a week now.

“After we dropped the amount we were able to raise, they called to confirm receipt with an ultimatum to ensure full payment before the deadline they gave us.

“That day, we heard Prof’s voice in the background pleading with us to contact individuals and the officials of the state government to come to her rescue.

“That was about two weeks ago. Up till now, we have been calling all the lines they were using to negotiate with us. All those phone lines are perpetually off as we speak now. The experience is traumatic, and nightmarish.
“We are worried, especially when you consider her medical condition as a diabetic and hypertensive patient. We are now resigned to fate.”

Meanwhile, Governor Bassey Otu has appealed to protesting members of the NMA to return to their professional calling of saving lives as his administration would leave no stone unturned in a bid to secure the return of their abducted colleague.

Otu made the plea while addressing members of the association, who were on a peaceful protest for the immediate and unconditional release of their member, Prof. Ephraim, who was kidnapped in Calabar.

“I want to plead that while we still continue to work for the release of your colleague, please let doctors do the best that they can to save lives because your main call is to save lives.

“I want you to believe us, that just like you, we are also very pained and we are pained that two wrongs will never make a right.

“A lot of things are happening in our hospitals and my administration is poised to ensure the enabling environment is created for you to carryout your statutory duties at all times.”

“Nobody is happy that she was taken even for a day apart from the criminal elements. But we will continue to do everything possible to ensure her safe return to the confines of her family and the association,” the governor assured.

The governor also assured that his administration was working closely with the security agencies to drastically curb, if not totally, eradicate kidnapping in the state.

The governor applauded the contributions and sacrifices of doctors in the state, remarking that his administration would not be defeated by the challenges of those involved in nefarious activities.

“Though it is a bad situation but at the darkest end of the tunnel, there is always a light. It is true that we have promised the season of sweetness, we will continue to live by the ethos and I know that Rome was not built in a day, the journey of a thousand miles begin one day, not too long we will clear our society of all miscreants,” Otu added.