A lawyer representing a prominent Nigerian social media activist has alleged that more than ten young people may have had their kidneys unlawfully removed in a suspected organ-harvesting network involving medical professionals, raising serious concerns about unlawful kidney removal.
Marshall Abubakar, the lawyer for activist Martins Vincent Otse (widely known as VeryDarkMan), made the claims during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme on Friday.
He said the case came to light after a young man approached the Martin Luther King Centre, an initiative linked to the activist, with a medical report showing that his left kidney was missing.
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The centre reportedly confirmed the finding through checks at two separate hospitals in Abuja, including a government facility in Jabi.
According to the lawyer, the young man claimed he was paid about $1,300 after the procedure, while his identity was changed and an affidavit was obtained in a different name.
Mr Abubakar alleged that other young people had been targeted in areas such as Masaka, Nyanya, and Mararaba, and that some had been recruited through intermediaries.
He claimed that kidneys were later sold for between 50 million and 70 million naira, while the donors received only a small share of the money.
He described the alleged practice as a “criminal enterprise,” stressing that lawful organ donation must be based on informed consent and should not involve improper financial inducement.
The Standard Gazette has not independently verified the claims. The allegations remain subject to an ongoing police investigation.
In a related development, the Nigeria Police Force announced the arrest of four suspects linked to an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking syndicate operating in Nasarawa State.
Police made the arrests during a sting operation in Karu Local Government Area on 19 August.
The suspects include two nephrologists (kidney specialists) associated with a private hospital in Abuja. Police said one suspect had admitted to recruiting victims under false pretences, including a 22-year-old man whose kidney was allegedly removed in April 2026.
Investigators also alleged that official documents, including names, identification numbers, and consent letters, were forged to facilitate the procedure.
Wellington Clinics, the Abuja hospital named in the case, has suspended kidney transplant services pending the outcome of the investigation.
The hospital has denied any involvement in financial arrangements concerning the transplant and said it provided only the operating theatre under a rental agreement with an external specialist team.
The allegations have sparked widespread debate in Nigeria about the regulation of organ donation and the vulnerability of poor young people to exploitation.
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