Elvert Ayambem, Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, has revealed that the House will soon pass a state law that will punish kidnappers harshly.
He addressed the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) leadership when they requested his assistance in rallying the Assembly to save their colleague, Prof. Ekanem Ephraim of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, who had been abducted a week before.
The armed kidnappers had posed as patients.
The Speaker stated that when the law goes into effect, whomever is caught in the act of abduction in the state will pay significantly for it. He expressed sadness over the frequent incidents of kidnapping in several sections of the state.
“I really feel very sad by the frequency of abductions. The recent case of Professor (Mrs) Ekanem Philip Ephraim of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital is very worrisome.
“I understand your pain and want to assure you that we will do everything possible to secure her immediate release from the kidnappers’ den. The State governor and the security operatives are working round the clock to bring her back safely,” he said.
The Speaker appealed to the NMA not to carry out their threat of withdrawing their professional services.
He assured of the safe release of the doctor of Neurology.
Speaking earlier, chairman of NMA, Dr Felix Archibong who led the NMA delegation on the visit, said the trauma the victim is going through was unspeakable.
He said there have been incessant kidnapping of their members and called on government and security agencies to end it.
He pleaded that Prof Ephraim should be released unhurt soon enough.