The Nigeria Police Force has displayed four individuals in connection with an organ harvesting and human trafficking conspiracy in Nasarawa State.
The suspects are Emmanuel Ode, 23; Dr Benjamin Oyime, 48, a nephrologist and consultant at Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja; Dr Daniel Otukpa, 53, also a nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at Wellington Hospital and David Idoko, 25.
They were detained by the Special Tactical Squad operatives in a sting operation on August 19, 2026 at Auta Balifi in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
This was made known yesterday in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu.
Ode had admitted during interrogation to recruiting victims under false pretences, Iniedu said.
He (Ode) revealed that he lured one Samuel Ezekiel, 22, to Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja on 24th April 2026 where his kidney was allegedly harvested for the sum of $1,250 USD (One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty US Dollars), which is equivalent to ₦1,700,000.00 (One Million Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) at the current exchange rate.
“A second victim claimed that he was lured by the same agent in 2022 to a hospital where his kidney was harvested for which he was paid the sum of ₦7,000,000.00 (Seven Million Naira),” the statement added.
The accused took advantage of the victims’ financial hardships to get their agreement to illicit organ harvesting, authorities said.
Investigations found that the accused and their collaborators allegedly targeted vulnerable and illiterate young persons in Nasarawa State and its surrounds, taking advantage of their financial desperation to secure their agreement for illicit organ harvesting.
“The suspects were said to have forged official documents such as victims’ names, National Identification Number (NIN), birth certificates, age declarations, affidavits and consent letters to carry out these criminal acts.”
During the operation garments allegedly bought with the proceeds of crime were recovered as exhibits, the police stated.
Investigations are continuing to arrest other persons allegedly linked to the ring, the Force said.
It also re-affirmed its commitment to eradicating networks of human trafficking and organ harvesting nationwide and preventing the most vulnerable persons from being exploited.
The current charges of kidney trafficking brought to the public notice by social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, are coming on the heels of this.
VeryDarkMan had, in a series of social media posts, revealed that a young guy had approached his NGO with a medical report stating that he was missing his left kidney.
Supposedly the individual was paid following the procedure with reports of attempts to falsify his identity using affidavits.
He also said other vulnerable adolescents were also targeted in places like Nyanya and Mararaba by agents and medical practitioners.
He said some of the extracted kidneys were later auctioned with donors receiving a slice of the revenue.
The activist’s public warnings and a petition by the Vincent Ose Initiative apparently helped bring police attention to connected incidents.
At about the same time, social media messages went widespread, claiming that nearly all the young persons residing around Nyanya, Mararaba, Karu and adjacent communities, had sold their kidneys to an agent in Mararaba.
However, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command said it has neither received nor confirmed any indication of such an action.
Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said that the police had “neither received nor confirmed any report of such nature,” adding that no official statement to that effect had originated from the police.
The Command appealed to the public to discount the unsubstantiated publications so as not to create fear and panic and appealed to anybody with genuine information on suspected organ trafficking to report at the nearest police station or the Command
About the Author
