16-Yr-Old Boy Kidney Harvested For N1m in Abuja Hospital

The deceit of a friend has been exposed in a court session on Monday, where a 16-year-old boy, told an FCT High Court in Zuba that he was offered ₦1 million by Emmanuel Olorunlaye, for his kidney to be removed at Alliance Hospital, Abuja.

The teenager made this known while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Hassan Tahir. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) charged the defendants alongside the Hospital with 11 counts bordering on organ harvesting.

The defendants are the Medical Director, of Alliance Hospital, Dr Christopher Otabor, Emmanuel Olorunlaye, Chikaodili Ugochukwu, Administrative Secretary of the hospital and Dr Aremu Abayomi. The boy said that he met Olorunlaye, who told him he was the manager of Alliance Hospital, through a friend in February 2023.

“My friend told me that we were going for a job at the Alliance Hospital and we went to see Olorunlaye who took us for our blood samples to be taken.

“Olorunlaye sent the phone dealer ₦500,000 and the dealer complained and asked for an account number to send back the balance of 210,000 and I sent another friend’s account number who was in school.

“I went back to Alliance Hospital days after for my stitches removal and was told that the operation site was infected because of my hygiene then Olorunlaye advised me to change where I was staying.

“I moved to Ayoma hotel in Ado, Nasarawa state but was robbed of ₦150, 000, ” he stated.

He said he called Olorunlaye telling him that he promised to give him ₦1 million adding that the little he gave him so far was almost finished. The witness said he finally had his stitches removed and he travelled to Ibadan to stay with his father’s friend who noticed the operation site and informed his father.

He said his father called him over the phone to explain what happened to him which he did and his father asked him to go to his aunt’s place in Lagos to be taken care of.

“My father’s lawyer wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police and they told my father to take me back to Abuja where I wrote my statement in Command and I was taken to Alliance Hospital.

“Dr Aremu took us to the M.D.’s office and they were detained the commissioner of police asked the M.D. about the patient that he gave my kidney to and he said the patient was late. He was asked to bring the patient‘s report and death certificate.

“On our way out, thM.D..D stopped my father and told him to withdraw the case and settle it saying that he would help me with my education and collected my father’s number to call him,” he added.

While cross-examining the witness, Tahir asked the boy to show the court his scar and asked how he had been feeling“I do not feel as strong as before and I am still on medication,” he said.

The defence counsel, Afam Osigwe, SAN asked the boy if he signed an affidavit and can confirm that he stated that he was 18 years old in the affidavit. Osigwe also asked if he could confirm that the patient, Egbuson Samson whom his kidney was donated was his relative and that he was not being compelled to donate his kidney.

The boy answered that he only signed on a light pen at the high court and signed documents before the surgery while he was weak. Judge Kezziah Ogbonnaya however adjourned the matter until May 7 for continuation of the hearing.