By DAUD OLATUNJI
ABEOKUTA— DOCTORS protesting last Friday’s kidnap of one of their colleagues, Dr. Olusola Otulana, yesterday, crippled commercial and other activities in Abeokuta, even as they handed down a 48-hour ultimatum to the governor and security agencies to ensure her safe release.

But Governor Ibikunle Amosun told the doctors that the government was doing everything possible to ensure her  safe release.

The protesting doctors nevertheless, threatened to shut down the health sector in the state if she was not released after 48 hours.

They barricaded the entrance of the Governor’s Office and displayed placards with various inscriptions such as; “There can’t be good health care delivery in an atmosphere of insecurity,” “Help we are not safe,” “Security of lives is a constitutional right”, “Security vote should be put to effective and efficient use,” among others.

The aggrieved doctors under the aegis of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, however, gave the state government a-48 hour ultimatum to ensure the release of the abducted doctor.

The doctors also protested to the Ogun State House of Assembly where they  reiterated their threat to  down toolsafter 48 hours and lamented that Otulana’s kidnap was the fourth within a year.

Leading the protest, Chairman of NMA, Dr. Adewunmi Alayaki, said they decided to protest  to express their displeasure  over the development and urged the government to wade into the matter and ensure her immediate release.

Adewunmi, who blamed the development on the recent publication of doctors’ salaries by the Lagos State Government noted that Otulana’s abductors asked her to pay the N50m ransom from her salary in advance.