Olayiwola Matthew
A teenager whose name is yet to be identified has confessed to being involved in human organ harvesting in Lagos State.
The boy who is seen in a viral video said he worked with some grown men who kill people at Ayobo Junction in Lagos to harvest their organs, particularly kidneys to sell to some ‘big men’.
The boy, who was apprehended by civilians in the Ayobo area of the state, added that the gang sells one kidney for N25,000 to a buyer.
He identified one of his superiors in the gang as ‘Sunday’.
He said, “We dey carry them dey go Ayobo Junction and we go and kill them there (We take our victims to Ayobo Junction to kill). (We always remove) their kidneys and we always sell it for one man and we sell it for N25,000. It is not me that is killing them, it is my oga that is killing them. His name is Oga Sunday and he stays at Ayobo Junction (in Lagos).”
All attempts to reach the state police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, to find out if the police had begun an investigation into the matter were unsuccessful.
He did not answer his calls and had yet to reply to a text message sent by our correspondent.
Human organ harvesting has become a disturbing social issue in Nigeria, with several cases involving politicians and religious leaders.
One of the most shocking cases was that of Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, who was accused of trafficking a 21-year-old Nigerian trader to the UK for kidney harvesting.
The victim, who was reportedly treated like a slave, shared his ordeal with British police, revealing he had been sleeping on the streets for three nights before seeking help at Staines Police Station.
The country’s laws and international legislation have been criticised for not doing enough to prevent such crimes. In fact, experts argue that harmful cultural practices and lack of effective implementation of existing laws contribute to the ongoing problem.