Friend Tricked Me Into Kidney Harvest, Blew Payment on Gadgets – Victim

Samuel Ezekiel, a young Nigerian man, has shared a shocking account of how his friend reportedly altered his identity to “Hassan Abubakar” ahead of a kidney removal procedure at Wellington Hospital, located in Life Camp, Abuja. Ezekiel further claimed that following his dollar payment for the surgery, he entrusted the funds to his friend, Emmanuel Odeh. Odeh then supposedly converted the currency and used a portion of it to purchase mobile phones, power banks, and Wi-Fi devices.

These revelations came to light as Ezekiel addressed journalists during the Nigeria Police Force’s public display of individuals suspected to be involved in an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate operating across Abuja and Nasarawa State on Friday. According to Ezekiel, Odeh initially informed him they were simply heading to a hospital, and he, trusting his friend implicitly, followed his directives without question.

“It’s my friend that deceived me. His name is Emmanuel Udeh,” Ezekiel stated. He elaborated, “He deceived me that we are going to for hospital because I don’t know what—because anything he told me, I will just, uh, do what he asked me to do.”

He explained that Odeh subsequently connected him with a man named David, who then escorted him to an agent known as Ben for a series of medical examinations. Ezekiel recounted that after his initial medical screenings proved incompatible with the first potential kidney recipient, the agent later notified them that a different recipient had been identified. Following this, Ezekiel said the agent confirmed his kidney was a match for someone else, leading to him being taken to Ben’s residence.

“Then the Ben now said that they are going to change my name, that I will be bearing Hassan Abubakar,” he quoted. Ezekiel detailed that they were then escorted to the Federal High Court, where necessary affidavits were prepared before their journey to Wellington Hospital. He continued, “Then from there, then they now take us to Federal High Court, where they do the affidavit. Then from there, then we now went to the hospital, Wellington Clinic.”

At the hospital, Ezekiel stated that they signed various documents before he was eventually led into the operating theatre. Ezekiel revealed that the payment was delivered to them late in the evening, between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm, just prior to his surgery. “After we sign, then later in the night around kind 10:00 to 11:00, they now come and give us, uh, money in dollar. After they give us the money in dollar, then when I’m going to enter the theater, then I now give Emmanuel the money to hold it,” he recounted.

Upon emerging from the operating theatre, Ezekiel discovered that Odeh had already exchanged the currency and used a portion of it to acquire electronic gadgets. He quoted, “After I give him the money, when I came out from the, from the theater, then later in the evening, Emmanuel came back. He have already went and change the money.” Ezekiel detailed that Odeh purchased two mobile phones, two power banks, and two Wi-Fi devices. “He now buy two phones, he now buy two power banks and two Wi-Fi. Then he now give me one and hold one. Everything where he buy, he give me one and hold one,” Ezekiel stated.

The victim explained that they stayed at the hospital for approximately one week before being discharged, subsequent to which Odeh escorted him to a hotel for a two-day stay. “Then we spent almost one week in the hospital. After they discharged us from the hospital, then they took us, then Emmanuel now took me toa hotel for two days,” Ezekiel revealed. Following their hotel stay, Ezekiel mentioned that Odeh transported him to Cross River State, where they resided for around three months. He recalled, “After the hotel, we spent two days, then he now took me to his state in Cross River. We now spent almost like three months in Cross River.”

Eventually, Ezekiel confronted Odeh about the money, only to be informed that it had already been exhausted. “Before I now ask him, ‘Where is the money?’ He told me that the money had finished,” Ezekiel quoted. Furthermore, Odeh then explained that they lacked funds for their return trip to Abuja. “Then he now said that we don’t have transport for coming back. Then he now collected my phone and sold it. Then that is how we have transport and come back to Abuja,” Ezekiel added.

When questioned about his awareness of the kidney removal, Ezekiel confirmed he had been informed but alleged that Odeh had assured him the procedure would be complication-free. “He just told me that it’s something that they will just, uh, convert it, that there’s not any issue in there, that if they convert it, I can do everything that I want to do, that I will not have any issue,” he stated. Ezekiel verified his consent to the operation, which he specified occurred at Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, on April 24. He also confirmed receiving payment in dollars, though he couldn't specify the precise sum, only remembering a collection of $100 bills alongside a single $50 note. When pressed for the exact figure, he responded, “It’s 100, 100 dollars with one 50 dollar.” Nevertheless, he reiterated his inability to provide the total amount he was given.

Ezekiel's testimony emerges amidst heightened police investigations into an alleged organ-harvesting ring active in the Abuja and Nasarawa State regions. On Friday, the police paraded various suspects, including two medical doctors, in connection with these operations.