By Ike Uchechukwu
The Medical Women Association of Nigeria, MWAN, Cross River Chapter, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Holy Child Old Girls Association, Nigerian Women of Journalists, Presbyterian Women and others on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest against kidnapping in Calabar.
The peaceful protest, which was organised by the Medical Women Association in the state, went round major routes in Calabar metropolis.
Speaking with Journalists, Dr Bassey Nakanda, President of MWAN in the state, said the protest was organised to draw the attention of the state government, security agencies and all relevant stakeholders on the need to rise up and end cases of kidnapping in the state.
According to Nakanda, medical women had continued to suffer incessant kidnappings in the state with the recent one of Dr Vivien Otu who was kidnapped on Aug. 28, 2020, in Calabar and released on the night of Sept. 3 in Calabar.
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She said “Medical women and others have become victims of kidnapping in Calabar and this act is totally condemnable. When it comes to kidnapping, the trauma that women go through lives with them forever; they are beaten, raped and humiliated.
“We are all aware that they have been several cases of kidnapping in Calabar and as women, we need to stand up, speak and fight for ourselves.
“Calabar used to be the most peaceful state in Nigeria but we are now leaving in fear. We need to visit the government, royal fathers and security agencies to register our complaints,” she said.
At Watt market roundabout, she spoke and called on the state government to provide security for all residents in the state.
“The government owe us a responsibility of security and they have to rise up to that responsibility,” she said.
She called on all residents in the state to always report abnormal movements of suspected persons around them to security agencies in the state.
Mrs Agnes Otu from Holy Child Old Girls Association also called on the state government and relevant security agencies to be proactive in safeguarding lives and properties of the residents in the state.
