Investigators allege vulnerable young men were recruited through deception, while a renal consultant says donors consented to procedures
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested two medical doctors and two other suspects in Nasarawa State over an alleged kidney trade, following an investigation into claims that vulnerable young men were recruited through deception for illegal organ removal.
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The arrests were made during a sting operation by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad at Altabalefi, in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, at about 6pm, according to Force spokesperson CSP Anietie Iniedu. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
The suspects were identified as 40-year-old Benjamin Oyime and 53-year-old Daniel Otopka, both described as nephrologists, alongside 25-year-old Emmanuel Odeh and 25-year-old David Idoko. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects and their alleged accomplices targeted vulnerable and poorly educated young men in Nasarawa and neighbouring areas, exploiting financial hardship in the recruitment process.
Iniedu said investigators had also uncovered alleged forged documents, including National Identification Numbers, birth certificates, age declarations, affidavits and consent letters, which were allegedly used to facilitate the transactions. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
The case has drawn wider attention following the allegation by 22-year-old Samuel Ezekiel, who was reportedly taken to a medical facility on April 24, 2026, where his kidney was allegedly removed.
Police said Odeh confessed during interrogation to recruiting victims under false pretences.
According to Iniedu, Odeh told investigators that Ezekiel’s kidney was allegedly removed in exchange for $1,250, equivalent to about ₦1.7m at the time. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
Another suspect, Idoko, was reportedly a previous victim before allegedly becoming involved in recruiting others.
Police said Idoko told investigators that he had been taken to a hospital in 2022, where his kidney was allegedly removed and he was paid ₦7m. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
The account offers a disturbing picture of how people who may themselves have been victims can become involved in recruiting others, although the allegations remain subject to investigation.
One alleged victim who was also taken into custody as a suspect said Odeh told him that his kidney matched that of a prospective recipient before taking him to a hospital.
“After we signed, then later in the night, around 10 to 11, they now come and give us money in dollar,” the alleged victim said. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
The investigation, however, has not produced a one-sided account.
A renal transplant consultant at the facility disputed allegations that procedures were carried out without consent, telling investigators that donors were informed about the procedures and consented to the transplants.
The consultant said the facility’s preferred practice was for prospective recipients to first seek suitable donors among relatives before proceeding with transplantation.
The consultant also said the facility had conducted five kidney transplant procedures since January. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
The conflicting accounts are likely to form a crucial part of the police investigation, particularly in establishing whether consent was freely and lawfully obtained and whether any medical procedure was connected to an illegal organ-trafficking network.
The controversy gained national attention after social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, intervened in the case of a young man who alleged that his kidney had been removed without his consent in Abuja.
Otse said Ezekiel approached his office on August 18, prompting further medical checks at health facilities in Abuja.
His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, later said examinations at two hospitals, including a government facility in Jabi, reportedly confirmed that the young man was missing his left kidney. (Channel Television)
Abubakar subsequently alleged that more than 10 young Nigerians could have been victims of an illegal kidney-harvesting network.
He said some vulnerable youths were allegedly approached through intermediaries and taken to medical facilities under different pretexts. (Channel Television)
Those wider allegations have not been established as facts, and the police investigation will be expected to determine whether the Nasarawa arrests are connected to the Abuja case and whether additional victims or suspects are involved.
The police said investigations were continuing and that efforts were being made to apprehend other people allegedly connected to the suspected network. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
The case also raises broader concerns about the vulnerability of financially disadvantaged Nigerians to exploitation, particularly where significant sums of money are offered in circumstances involving major medical procedures.
For investigators, establishing the chain of recruitment, the identity of recipients, the role of medical personnel and the authenticity of consent documents will be central to determining whether criminal offences occurred.
The police have stressed that illegal organ harvesting and trafficking remain criminal offences and warned against exploiting vulnerable people for financial gain. (TheGuildNG – report on interest)
For now, the four suspects remain suspects rather than convicted offenders, and the allegations against them will have to be tested through the investigative and judicial process.
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The investigation could ultimately determine whether the disturbing allegations represent isolated cases or evidence of a wider and more organised network operating across Nasarawa and Abuja.
Victory Emmanuel is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
