The family of a 58-year-old matron, Mrs. Winnifred Alofoje, are afraid she may have been abducted after she went missing last Friday.
Efforts to reach her on her telephone were said to have proved abortive, as the line was switched off.
Winnifred, a matron at Blue Sky Hospital, Egbeda, Lagos State, was said to have left her house in Hand of Fire City, Igando, at about 9am, for Nurse and Midwifery Council in Yaba to renew her medical licence.
However, her name was said to be missing in a register for people who visited the centre for licences on that day.
At about 12pm that Friday, Winnifred had reportedly called her ailing daughter on the telephone to know how she was faring.
The woman’s son, Itua Alofoye, told PUNCH Metro that he was notified about her disappearance in the night when his father and sister did not hear from her.
Itua said he visited the centre on Saturday, but could not verify whether she got to the place.
He explained that further efforts to locate her had been futile, adding that she might have been abducted.
He said, “She works with Blue Sky Hospital in Egbeda. Her medical licence expired and she went to the centre to renew it. My sister, Onor, said she spoke with her around 12.45pm on Friday. She just asked about her (Onor’s) health. Since then, her line has been switched off.
“I went to the centre on Saturday, but was unable to meet with any official. I went back today (Monday; they checked the register to know whether she actually came to the centre. Her name was not in the register.
“The family moved into Igando on Wednesday, but I don’t live with them. We learnt there was an accident in the Maryland area on Friday, and we were told to go to the Gbagada General Hospital. But she was not there. We also went to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
“We reported at the Igando Police Station and the police collected all her details. She has been practising as a nurse for over 30 years now. Nobody has contacted us about her whereabouts, but I have a feeling she was abducted.”
The Chief Medical Director, Blue Sky Hospital, Dr Femi Olofinshawo, said the matron had gone to the centre for the licence renewal the previous week but could not obtain it due to insufficient funds.
He said, “I was told on Saturday morning that she was missing and I advised her family to check some hospitals because I learnt there was an accident in Maryland.
“She didn’t come to work at all. She took permission to go to renew her licence and the permission was granted. She was not supposed to spend more than five minutes at the centre because she had already filled the necessary forms the first time she went there. She was supposed to make the payment and get the licence.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, promised to get back to our correspondent with comments on the incident.
He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
Source: Punch
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