BENIN CITY – After three grueling days in the hands of his captors, the Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice, ANEEJ is pleased that the former Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, together with Miss Ann Usman and Mr. Sunny Omo-Alasa who were kidnapped in Imo State on a medical mission have been rescued and released by the Nigeria Police.
Their release followed a campaign initiated by Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria of which ANEEJ is a prominent player. Just twenty fours hours after Dr. Philip Ugbodaga was abducted by hoodlums while on a medical mission in Imo State, ANEEJ released a statement calling for his unconditional release. In that press statement of October 19th 2015, ANEEJ expressed worry that if the spate of kidnappings were not nipped in the bud in the nick of time, the specter of kidnappings would not blow anyone any good.
‘We commend the Police High Command who heeded our call to swing into action and rescue Dr. Ugbodaga. If the accounts of Dr. Phillip Ugbodaga about the manner of his rescue by the Nigeria Police are put in perspective, then there is hope that incidences of human rights abuses like abductions and kidnappings in Nigeria will soon be a thing of the past’, Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, ANEEJ Communications Manager has said.