Kaduna Attack: NMA Mourns Medical Doctor, Calls For State Police

The Nigerian Medical Association has strongly suggested establishment of state police while reacting to the death of one of its members, Chinelo Megafu, who died during a terrorist attack on the Kaduna-Abuja train at Rijana.

The NMA President, Professor Innocent Ujah, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

During the train attack, Megafu had tweeted that “I’m in the train . I have been shot please pray for me.”

Ujah stated that the death of Chinelo was horrific but preventable, adding that the government should recruit more service men and women.

The statement partly reads, “The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof (Dr) Innocent A O Ujah, FNMA, and indeed all Medical and Dental Practitioners under the auspices of NMA are deeply saddened by the tragic, horrific and preventable death of one of our members, Dr Chinelo Megafu Nwando, who is reported to have lost her life from injuries sustained from gunshots when the train she travelled in from Abuja to Kaduna was attacked by suspected bandits.

“The Association hereby calls on the security agencies to urgently reorganise the security architecture in the country with focus on intelligence gathering in order to avoid these carnages across the country.

“The Association also recommends that the Federal Government gives strong consideration to the establishment of state police to further complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force.”

The NMA decried the worsening insecurity in the country, saying that it has subjected Nigerians to attacks by hoodlums, bandits, kidnappers and terrorists.

The statement further reads:

“The untimely death of the young, promising Dr Chinelo who served at the Kaduna State Dental Centre and worked with St Gerrard’s Hospital, Kakuri, while striving to earn a honest living is one other death too many. The Association notes that needless bloodletting and senseless loss of lives is fast becoming a recurrent decimal in our country, thus worsening the alarming effects of brain drain, which in many instances have been attributable to the worsening security situation in the country.

“The recruitment of more security personnel and the provision of modern security gadgets and ammunition for them can’t be overemphasised.

“Lastly, the Association prays God to grant the families of Dr Chinelo and all other victims of the very unfortunate incidence, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss”.