Experts seek stronger safeguards against kidney trafficking in Nigeria

Medical and legal experts made the call on a television programme monitored from Abuja, discussing an alleged case involving the removal of a kidney from a man at a hospital in Abuja. The alleged victim claimed he was taken to a hospital where his kidney was removed after his identity was allegedly changed and documents prepared before the procedure. Medical examinations conducted at Nisa Premier Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jabi, Abuja, confirmed that the man's left kidney was missing. The matter was subsequently reported to the police, which arrested four suspects, including two doctors.

Dr Ebun Ladipo Bamgboye, a consultant nephrologist, said kidney transplantation was an important treatment for patients with advanced kidney failure but must be conducted within established medical, ethical and legal safeguards. Bamgboye said living donors should ordinarily have a genetic or emotional relationship with recipients and must not donate for commercial reasons. According to him, such donors could include parents, siblings, children, cousins, spouses and other persons with an established emotional relationship with the recipient, subject to applicable legal and ethical requirements.

Mr Vincent Adekoye, Head of Press and Public Relations at the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said vulnerable youths were increasingly at risk of being targeted in alleged organ-trafficking activities. Adekoye said those targeted were often unemployed and financially desperate young people living in suburbs and settlements around major cities. According to him, traffickers exploit their vulnerability through financial inducements, peer-to-peer recruitment and online platforms.

Mr Wayne Elijah, a principal partner and lawyer, said Nigerian law provided safeguards governing organ donation and transplantation. Elijah said the National Health Act stipulated informed consent and imposed conditions, facilities and procedures involved in organ transplantation. He said intending donors must undergo appropriate medical assessment and education, while procedures must be carried out in accredited facilities and in accordance with approved standards.

The experts agreed that the ongoing investigation into the Abuja case should establish how the alleged procedure occurred and whether the required safeguards were followed. They urged investigators to examine the roles of medical practitioners, recruiters, intermediaries and other persons connected with the case. They also called for the identification of other possible victims and examination of medical records, consent forms and other relevant documentation.