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As terrorists murder, kidnap nurses, demand N540 million ransom
From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Members of the Katsina State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives have resolved to begin an indefinite strike action from January 30 arguing they have correctively become subject of attacks by marauding terrorists in parts of the state.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the union’s Chairman, Nura Muazu, grieved over the abduction by suspected terrorists of a nurse on duty, Yusuf Mohammed Mairuwa, alongside unspecified number of some other health workers at the General Hospital Kankara, Kankara Local Government Area, on January 15, 2025.
He noted that the abductors are demanding payment of a total of N540 million for the release of the victims.
“Mr. Mairuwa was patriotically on duty at the General Hospital Kankara on Tuesday 15th January, 2025, saving lives, caring for the sick and providing excellent leadership when he was taken unawares under the threat of guns and whisked away alongside other health workers to an unknown destination and their whereabouts still remain unknown,” Muazu said.
He highlighted a number of other cases involving the criminal treatment of his members including the killing of a colleague, the late Murtala Isah Safana, attached to the General Hospital Dutsinma in 2022.
According to him, “there was another attack on a nurse, Hamza Saleh while on his way to work, around Yan-Tumaki junction add a result of which he lost his right eye forever.
“There was the abduction of of the wife of wife of another colleague, Mustapha Hamza, who was taking food to the husband on duty at the General Hospital Kurfi, and he had tho pay aransom of N5 million to secure her release.
“While our hazard allowance is just N5,000 monthly, we receive one of the lowest remunerations and inadequate welfare in Nigeria, amidst chronic shortage of manpower with just about 1,000 nurses/midwives in the employment of one of the leading populated states.”
Katsina is one of the states in the North-West where banditry reigns supreme and terrorists embark of indiscriminate murder of hapless residents including day time attacks on its highways.
On January 7, the police confirmed the mass massacre of about 21 residents in Baure village, Safana Local Government Area, including members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps, set up by government to complement efforts of the regular security forces in checking the menace of insecurity in the area.
Government figures indicate that various communities in at least 22 out of the 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state remain under persistent attacks from terrorists.
Tagged ‘frontline’ LGAs, some of them are Kankara, Faskari, Dandume, Dutsinma, Funtua, Batsari and, Jibiya LGA which shares borders with the Republic of Niger.
The frontline LGAs share borders with the notorious Rugu forest, reported to be a haven of terrorists and other criminal gangs.