FRIEND ALLEGEDLY DECEIVED MAN INTO KIDNEY REMOVAL, SPENT PAYMENT ON GADGETS

A young Nigerian, Samuel Ezekiel, has recounted how his friend allegedly deceived him into undergoing kidney removal and later used part of the money paid for the procedure to purchase electronic gadgets.

Ezekiel made the revelation while speaking to journalists during the Nigeria Police Force parade of suspects linked to an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate operating around Abuja and Nasarawa State.

According to him, his friend, Emmanuel Odeh, initially told him they were going to a hospital without clearly explaining the purpose of the visit. Ezekiel said he trusted Odeh and followed his instructions.

He said Odeh subsequently connected him with another man identified as David, who took him to an agent named Ben for medical tests. After the initial tests did not produce a match with the intended kidney recipient, Ezekiel said he was later informed that another recipient had been found.

The victim alleged that he was eventually told that his kidney matched another person and that his identity would be changed to “Hassan Abubakar” to facilitate the process.

Ezekiel said documents were prepared at the Federal High Court before he was taken to Wellington Hospital in Life Camp, Abuja, where he signed additional documents and underwent the operation on April 24, 2026.

He said money was brought to them in dollars late at night shortly before he entered the theatre. According to him, he handed the money to Odeh for safekeeping because he trusted his friend.

However, Ezekiel alleged that after the surgery, Odeh had already exchanged the dollars and used part of the proceeds to purchase two phones, two power banks and two Wi-Fi devices.

He said Odeh gave him one of each item and kept the others.

Ezekiel further disclosed that he spent about one week recovering in the hospital before Odeh took him to a hotel, where they stayed for another two days. He was later taken to Cross River State, where he said they spent approximately three months.

When he eventually asked Odeh about the money he had received for the kidney, Ezekiel said his friend told him that the money had been exhausted.

He also alleged that when they later needed money to return to Abuja, Odeh collected and sold his phone to raise transport fare.

The victim said he had been informed that his kidney would be removed but claimed that Odeh reassured him that the procedure would not cause serious problems and that he would still be able to carry out his normal activities.

Ezekiel said he could not remember the exact amount he received, but recalled being given several $100 notes and a $50 note.

His account comes amid a police investigation into an alleged organ-harvesting network operating in Abuja and Nasarawa State. The police recently paraded several suspects, including two doctors and alleged recruiters, following a sting operation in the Auta Balefi area of 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 operation. Dr Benjamin Oyime, Dr Daniel Otukpa and David Idoko were also among those presented by the police.

The police alleged that the syndicate targeted vulnerable young people and facilitated illegal kidney removal through forged documents and false representations.

The investigation was reportedly launched after activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, said a young man had approached his NGO with medical evidence indicating that his left kidney was missing.

Police authorities have continued investigating the alleged network, with efforts underway to identify and apprehend other individuals who may have been involved.

The case has raised fresh concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable people and the activities of illegal organ-harvesting networks, as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged procedures.