Abia State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has confirmed that one of its renowned orthopaedic surgeons, Dr. Bonaventure Aguocha, who was kidnapped on May 24, 2026 has been released.
The NMA, which said that Dr. Aguocha spent nine days in captivity, praised Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodinma for their roles in the release of the surgeon.
The Chairman of the NMA, Abia State branch, Dr. Ezenwa Ezuruike and the Secretary of the association in the State, Dr. Clement Ifenkoronye, who expressed joy at the development, also thanked the Department of State Service, DSS, the Nigerian Police Force and other groups for their roles in the freedom of the surgeon.
The NMA executives disclosed that the strike scheduled to commence on June 2 in Abia because of the abduction had been suspended following the release of Dr Aguocha.
It, however, called for an end to attacks on doctors in Abia and other parts of Nigeria, warning that the continued attacks negatively affect the moral of medical professional in areas of healthcare delivery.
“The recurring targeting of doctors, as seen in the still unresolved case of Professor Iweha since 2020, severely undermines the morale of professionals working under already difficult conditions” , Ezuruike and Ifenkoronye lamented.
