A young Nigerian man, Samuel Ezekiel, has recounted how he allegedly became a victim of an organ-harvesting syndicate after his friend, Emmanuel Odeh, allegedly changed his identity before he underwent kidney removal at a hospital in Abuja.
Ezekiel made the allegation on Friday while speaking to journalists during the Nigeria Police Force parade of suspects linked to an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate operating in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
According to him, Odeh initially told him they were going to a hospital, and he agreed because he trusted his friend.
“It’s my friend that deceived me. His name is Emmanuel Udeh.”
Ezekiel said Odeh later introduced him to another man identified as David, who took him to an agent known as Ben for medical tests.
He explained that after his initial test results did not match those of the intended kidney recipient, the agent later told him that another recipient had been found whose kidney requirements matched his.
Ezekiel alleged that he was subsequently informed that his identity would be changed before the procedure.
“Then he now said that they are going to change my name, that I will be bearing Hassan Abubakar.”
According to him, the group subsequently took him to the Federal High Court, where an affidavit was prepared before he was taken to Wellington Hospital in Life Camp, Abuja.
He said documents were signed at the hospital before he was taken into the theatre.
Ezekiel claimed that money was brought to them shortly before he underwent the operation.
“After we sign, then later in the night around 10:00 to 11:00, they now come and give us money in dollars.”
He said he handed the money to Odeh for safekeeping before entering the theatre.
“After they give us the money, then when I wanted to enter the theater, I gave Emmanuel the money to hold it.”
However, Ezekiel alleged that when he came out of the theatre, Odeh had already changed the dollars and spent part of the money on electronic devices.
“After I gave him the money, when I came out from the theater, then later in the evening, Emmanuel came back. He had already gone and changed the money.”
According to Ezekiel, Odeh purchased two phones, two power banks and two Wi-Fi devices with the money.
“He bought two phones, two power banks, and two Wi-Fi. Then he now gave me one and held one. Everything he bought, he gave me one and held one.”
Ezekiel said he remained at the hospital for approximately one week before being discharged.
He alleged that Odeh subsequently took him to a hotel, where they spent another two days before travelling to Cross River State, where they stayed for about three months.
Ezekiel said he later asked Odeh about the money he had received for the kidney donation, only to be told that the money had been spent.
“Before I asked him, ‘Where is the money?’ He told me that the money had finished.”
He further alleged that Odeh later said they did not have money for transportation back to Abuja and eventually sold Ezekiel’s phone to raise funds for the journey.
“Then he said that we don’t have transport for coming back. He collected my phone and sold it. Then that is how we had transport and came back to Abuja.”
‘I Knew They Were Removing My Kidney’
Ezekiel said he was aware that his kidney would be removed, but alleged that Odeh reassured him that the procedure would not negatively affect his health.
“He just told me that it’s something that they will just, uh, convert it, that there’s not any issue in there, that if they convert it, I can do everything that I want to do, that I will not have any issue.”
He confirmed that he consented to the procedure, which he said was carried out at Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, on April 24.
Ezekiel said he was paid in US dollars but could not determine the exact amount he received. He recalled receiving several $100 notes and a $50 note.
The account emerged as the police intensified investigations into an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate operating in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
The Nigeria Police Force on Friday paraded several suspects following a sting operation in Auta Balefi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Among those paraded was Emmanuel Odeh, whom the police accused of recruiting victims for the alleged organ-harvesting network.
The police also paraded Dr Benjamin Oyime, a nephrologist and consultant to Wellington Hospital; Dr Daniel Otukpa, another nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at the hospital; and David Idoko.
According to the police, the alleged syndicate targeted vulnerable young people and facilitated kidney removal through forged documents and false representations.
The Force said investigations were continuing to identify and arrest other individuals allegedly connected to the network.
The case became public after activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, said a young man approached his NGO with medical evidence indicating that his left kidney was missing.
The police subsequently commenced an investigation into the allegations, which led to the arrest and parade of the suspects.
The allegations against the suspects have not been established as facts, and those arrested remain entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court.
The ongoing investigation is expected to establish how the alleged kidney removal operation was organised, the roles of those arrested and whether other victims or suspects are connected to the case.
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