What started as a simple trip to the hospital allegedly ended with a young Nigerian losing a kidney—and, according to him, discovering that the friend he trusted had spent part of his payment on phones and electronic gadgets.
Samuel Ezekiel says he was deceived by his friend, Emmanuel Udeh, who allegedly persuaded him to undergo the kidney removal at Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja.
“I trusted him. Anything he told me, I would just do,” Ezekiel told journalists during the Nigeria Police Force’s parade of suspects linked to an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
According to Ezekiel, Udeh initially told him they were simply going to the hospital.
He later allegedly introduced him to a man identified as David, who took him to an agent known as Ben for medical tests.
The first test reportedly failed to produce a match with the intended recipient.
Then another recipient was allegedly found.
Ezekiel said Ben told him his kidney matched the new recipient—and that his identity would have to be changed.
“Ben said they were going to change my name. I would be bearing Hassan Abubakar,” he said.
The alleged identity switch was followed by a visit to the Federal High Court, where an affidavit was prepared before Ezekiel was taken to Wellington Hospital.
Documents were signed.
Then came the operation.
‘I Gave Him the Dollars’
Ezekiel said the payment arrived late at night, around 10pm or 11pm, shortly before he entered the theatre.
The money was reportedly handed over in US dollars.
But instead of keeping the cash himself, Ezekiel said he handed it to Udeh.
“I gave Emmanuel the money to hold,” he said.
When he came out of the theatre, however, he alleged that Udeh had already exchanged the dollars.
And according to Ezekiel, some of the money had quickly disappeared into gadgets.
“Two phones, two power banks and two Wi-Fi,” he said.
Udeh allegedly gave him one of each and kept the other.
Three Months Away
Ezekiel said he spent about a week in the hospital recovering before Udeh took him to a hotel for two days.
From there, he said, they travelled to Cross River State, where they stayed for almost three months.
Then he began asking the question that would expose what had happened to his payment:
“Where is the money?”
Ezekiel said Udeh’s answer was simple.
“The money had finished.”
He alleged that Udeh later claimed they had no money to return to Abuja.
According to Ezekiel, Udeh then took his phone, sold it and used the proceeds to pay for their transportation back to the capital.
‘I Knew My Kidney Would Be Removed’
Ezekiel admitted that he knew a kidney would be removed.
But he said Udeh had convinced him that the procedure would not affect his life.
“He told me there was no issue, that I could do everything I wanted to do and would not have any problem,” he said.
Ezekiel said the operation took place on April 24 at Wellington Hospital.
He recalled receiving several $100 notes and one $50 note but could not state the exact amount paid to him.
Police Uncover Alleged Organ Network
Ezekiel’s allegations emerged as the police investigate an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate operating around Abuja and Nasarawa.
The police have paraded several suspects following a sting operation in Auta Balefi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Those paraded include Udeh; Dr Benjamin Oyime, a nephrologist and consultant to Wellington Hospital; Dr Daniel Otukpa, another nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at the hospital; and David Idoko.
Police allege that the network targeted vulnerable young people and facilitated illegal kidney removal through false representations and forged or questionable documents.
The investigation followed claims made by activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, that a young man had approached his NGO with medical evidence indicating that his left kidney was missing.
The police subsequently launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspects.
As investigators dig deeper into the alleged network, Ezekiel’s account has brought a human face to the disturbing allegations—a story of trust, deception, surgery and a payment that he says vanished while he was recovering from the loss of a kidney.
The allegations against the suspects remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.