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The mother of 22-year-old Samuel Ezekiel has revealed how she first learnt that her son's kidney had allegedly been removed after receiving a phone call from someone who had heard about the incident.
Speaking to journalists, she said she had no idea that Ezekiel had been taken to Wellington Hospital in Life Camp, Abuja, where the alleged kidney removal took place on April 24, 2026.
According to her, she was at her shop when she received the distressing call informing her that her son's kidney had been harvested.
"I was in the shop when someone called me and said they heard that my son's kidney had been removed," she recalled.
Alarmed by the information, she contacted another of her sons to verify the claim. Although he initially denied knowing anything about it, she later learnt from her younger son that Ezekiel had been taken to the hospital by his friend, Emmanuel Ode.
She said she immediately reported the matter to the police after discovering what had allegedly happened.
The mother also disclosed that her son never gave her any money after the operation, dismissing suggestions that the family benefited financially from the procedure.
Her account followed earlier allegations by Ezekiel, who claimed Ode lured him to the hospital under false pretences before convincing him that donating a kidney would not affect his health.
The victim alleged that his identity was changed to "Hassan Abubakar" and forged documents, including an affidavit, were prepared before the surgery.
Police have since alleged that Ode recruited Ezekiel for the illegal procedure and that the victim's kidney was sold for $1,250, about N1.7 million.
The Nigeria Police Force recently paraded Ode alongside two nephrologists linked to Wellington Hospital—Dr. Benjamin Oyime and Dr. Daniel Otukpa—as well as another suspect, David Idoko, over an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking syndicate operating in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
According to police, the suspects were arrested during a sting operation in Auta Balefi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on August 19.
Force spokesperson CSP Ani Iniedu said investigations indicated that the syndicate allegedly targeted vulnerable young people, using deception and forged documents to facilitate illegal organ harvesting.
Ezekiel had earlier claimed he handed the money paid to him to Ode before the surgery for safekeeping, but was later told it had been spent. He also alleged that Ode used part of the money to buy phones, power banks and Wi-Fi devices before taking him to Cross River State for several months.
His mother explained that she did not immediately realise he was missing because he had left her Abuja residence to stay with his father in Ogun State while learning computer-related skills.
She added that she only became concerned about his health after police instructed her to return him to the hospital because he was still carrying surgical stitches, which later became infected.
The Force said investigations into the alleged organ-trafficking network are ongoing, with efforts to arrest other suspected members of the syndicate. Police added that the probe followed allegations publicised by social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, while urging the public to avoid spreading unverified claims about kidney trafficking in the FCT and neighbouring communities.
