A recently surfaced photo of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola and her nephew, Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, has stirred emotions across social media after their release from nearly a year in captivity.
Dr. Popoola, an ophthalmology registrar at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, and her nephew had been held by bandits since December 27, 2023.
The two were abducted alongside Dr. Popoola’s husband, Squadron Leader Nurudeen Popoola, who was released earlier on March 8, 2024, following intense negotiations.
The photo, capturing the doctor and her nephew shortly after their release, reveals the toll of their ordeal and has drawn reactions ranging from shock to sympathy on various platforms. Social media users have expressed relief at their release, mixed with outrage over their long captivity.
Many have voiced support for the victims and urged the government to do more in protecting citizens from similar fates.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters on Thursday said the release of Dr Ganiyat Popoola by terrorists was an indication of their willingness to surrender to the troops.
In a statement on Thursday night by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, said the doctor and the teenager were rescued through a non-kinetic approach on October 30.
He added that the details of their release by the terrorists remain classified due to ongoing operations, noting that their release showed the willingness of the terrorist leaders to surrender.
