Police Arrest Suspects in Alleged Kidney Harvesting Case

On August 19, operatives from the Nigerian Police Force's Special Tactical Squad arrested four suspects in Auta Balifi, Karu Local Government Area, for their alleged involvement in a kidney harvesting and enslavement syndicate. The suspects include Emmanuel Ode, 23; Dr. Benjamin Oyime, 48, a nephrologist and consultant at Wellington Hospital in Life Camp, Abuja; Dr. Daniel Otukpa, 53, also a nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at the same hospital; and David Idoko, 25.

Police reports indicate that Ode allegedly recruited vulnerable young individuals with false promises and directed them to hospitals where their kidneys were reportedly removed. In response, Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and current presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), commented on September 4 via his verified X account, placing the responsibility for this crisis on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government.

He noted that young Nigerians are selling their kidneys for as little as N1.7 million, which he described as indicative of a deeper economic collapse rather than mere criminal opportunism. Atiku emphasized that existing laws against commercial organ sales are insufficient without addressing the underlying conditions that make young people vulnerable to such exploitation.