I learnt my son’s kidney was removed via phone call — Victim’s mother

The mother of 22-year-old Samuel Ezekiel, whose kidney was allegedly removed after he was deceived by his friend, Emmanuel Ode, has revealed that she only learnt about the incident after receiving a phone call from someone who heard that her son had undergone the procedure.

The woman said she had no knowledge that her son had been taken to a hospital in Abuja, where his kidney was allegedly removed on April 24, 2026.

Ezekiel had earlier told journalists that Ode deceived him into believing that they were going to the hospital for another purpose before he was eventually taken to Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja, where his kidney was allegedly harvested.

According to the victim, Ode assured him that removing his kidney would not affect his health or ability to live normally.

He also alleged that his identity was changed to “Hassan Abubakar” during the process and that an affidavit was prepared at the Federal High Court before he was taken to the hospital.

The police later alleged that Ode recruited Ezekiel for the procedure and that the victim’s kidney was harvested for $1,250, equivalent to about N1.7m.

The Nigeria Police Force subsequently paraded Ode, two doctors and another suspect over an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking syndicate operating around Abuja and Nasarawa State.

The suspects paraded were Ode, 23; Dr Benjamin Oyime, a 48-year-old nephrologist and consultant to Wellington Hospital; Dr Daniel Otukpa, a 53-year-old nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at the hospital; and David Idoko, 25.

The police said the suspects were arrested by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad during a sting operation at Auta Balefi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, on August 19.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said Ode allegedly confessed during interrogation to recruiting victims under false pretences.

The police further alleged that the syndicate targeted vulnerable and uneducated young people, exploiting their financial difficulties to obtain consent for illegal organ harvesting.

Investigators also alleged that official documents, including victims’ names, National Identification Numbers, birth certificates, age declarations, affidavits and consent letters, were forged to facilitate the procedures.

But while the investigation was unfolding, Ezekiel’s mother said she was completely unaware that her son had undergone the procedure.

She said she was at her shop when someone called her and informed her that her son’s kidney had been removed.

“I was in the shop one day, and someone called me to say they heard that my son’s kidney had been removed,” she said while speaking to journalists on Friday.

The mother said she immediately contacted another of her sons to find out what had happened, but he initially told her that he knew nothing about the matter.

She said she later learnt from her younger son that Ezekiel had been taken to a hospital by Ode, prompting her to report the matter to the police.

She said, “So, later, he told me that the junior one told him that Emmanuel took him to a hospital and then went and removed his kidney. So, that was how I went to the police station to report the matter.”

The woman said her son did not give her any money after the procedure.

Asked whether Ezekiel brought any money home, she replied, “No, no, no.”

Ezekiel had earlier told journalists that the payment he received was in US dollars and that he handed the money to Ode for safekeeping before entering the theatre.

He alleged that after the operation, Ode changed the money and used part of it to buy two phones, two power banks and two Wi-Fi devices.

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Ezekiel said Ode gave him one of each item and kept the other for himself.

The victim also said he remained in the hospital for about a week after the operation before being discharged and taken by Ode to a hotel, where they stayed for two days.

He said Ode subsequently took him to Cross River State, where they stayed for almost three months.

When he later asked about the money, Ezekiel said his friend told him it had been spent.

He further alleged that when they eventually ran out of money for transportation back to Abuja, Ode collected his phone and sold it to raise money for their journey.

His mother explained that she had not immediately noticed his absence because he had left her residence in Nyanya, Abuja, to stay with his father in Ota, Ogun State.

According to her, Ezekiel had completed secondary school but the family could not afford to send him to another school at the time.

She said the family instead arranged for him to learn computer-related skills.

“When he finished secondary school, he came back. He was with my elder sister in our village, where he was going to school.

“When he finished school, he came back. At that time, I didn’t have money to send him to another school. So, we paid money for him to learn computer skills.

“That was how he went to his father’s side. He was with his father in Ota, Baale, learning computer skills. I had also put him with a Ghanaian man, where he was learning 3D and painting. So, that was how he left my side and went to Ota to learn computer skills,” she said.

The mother said she eventually became concerned about her son’s condition after the police directed her to take him back to the hospital.

She said he had been walking around with the surgical stitches still in place and that the wound later developed pus.

“The police then said I should take him back to the hospital because he was walking around with the stitches without removing them. When it started producing pus, they said he should go back and have the stitches removed,” she said.

She added that she subsequently took Ezekiel back to the hospital for the stitches to be removed.

The police have said investigations into the alleged organ-harvesting syndicate are ongoing, with efforts underway to apprehend other suspects allegedly connected to the network.

The Force said the case formed part of its wider investigation into alleged organ trafficking following allegations brought to public attention by social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.

The activist had earlier disclosed that a young man approached his NGO with a medical report indicating that his left kidney was missing.

The police said its investigation uncovered allegations involving vulnerable young people in communities around Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory.

The FCT Police Command had, however, warned the public against unverified claims following viral reports alleging widespread kidney selling among youths in Nyanya, Mararaba, Karu and neighbouring communities.

The command said it had neither received nor confirmed reports that “nearly all” young people in the affected areas had sold their kidneys, urging anyone with credible information on suspected organ trafficking to report to the police.