A newly-inducted radiographer, Basheerah Ojedeyi, has been abducted by gunmen in Niger State while travelling from Sokoto to Osun State to commence her internship.

Ojedeyi, who was inducted into the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria last week, was on her way to Osogbo, Osun State, when she was kidnapped. Family sources said her last contact was on Monday afternoon when she informed them that the commercial vehicle she boarded had broken down at Mokwa, Niger State. Subsequent attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.

On Tuesday morning, the kidnappers contacted the family, demanding ₦200 million as ransom for her release. “We informed them that we could not afford such an amount, but they are insisting on ₦200m,” a relative told PUNCH Metro.

The incident has been reported to the police in both Sokoto and Niger states, but the authorities have yet to issue an official response.

Meanwhile, the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria (ARN) has condemned the abduction. Its National President, Dr. Musa Dambele, described the incident as an “attack on healthcare professionals” and appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and security agencies to intervene urgently.

“The demand of ₦200 million ransom is beyond outrageous; it is inhuman, and it places an irreplaceable life at grave risk,” Dambele said in a statement. He called for Ojedeyi’s immediate release and urged Nigerians to unite in demanding justice.

The abduction adds to the growing list of recent kidnapping cases across Nigeria, including that of a youth corps member along the Benin-Ore Expressway in February and three passengers on the Okene-Lokoja highway in September.