A 16-year-old boy, on Monday, told an FCT High Court in Zuba that he was offered N1 million by Mr. Emmanuel Olorunlaye for his kidney to be removed at Alliance Hospital, Abuja.
The teenager made this known while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Hassan Tahir.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) charged the defendants alongside the Hospital with 11 counts bordering on organ harvesting.
The defendants are the Medical Director, Alliance Hospital, Dr. Christopher Otabor; Emmanuel Olorunlaye, Chikaodili Ugochukwu, Administrative Secretary of the hospital and Dr. Aremu Abayomi.
The boy said that he met Olorunlaye, who told him he was the manager of Alliance Hospital, through a friend in February 2023.
“My friend told me that we were going for a job at the Alliance Hospital and we went to see Olorunlaye who took us for our blood samples to be taken.
“He gave us transport money and asked me if I knew what I was about to do in the hospital. I answered ‘No’ and he told me to ask my friend.
“I asked my friend, who did not tell me what we were doing in the hospital. He later informed me that Olorunlaye asked us to return to the hospital,” he said.
The witness said Olorunlaye asked about his health and informed him that he was about to sell his kidney for N1 million.
”I declined the offer and Olorunlaye asked us to go return to the hospital for the work we were initially supposed to do, which was to distribute medication.
”When we got back to the hospital, Olorunlaye asked why we were scared to accept his offer and asked us to wait for his boss, Ugochukwu; and when she arrived, he handed me over to her.”
The teenager alleged that Ugochukwu took him to an FCT high court where he signed a document and was asked to wait outside for her.
”Six minutes later, she came out and we went back to the hospital and she handed me over to a driver and a nurse. I was taken to Eco Lab for a scan and driven back to Alliance Hospital afterwards .
”Olorunlaye told me that I was going to sleep in the hospital because it was late to go back home; so while I was there, a nurse came and put a drip on me, then Ugochukwu came with some documents and asked me to sign and I did.
”I was weak and wheeled into the theatre and I laid on the bed, then I overheard the nurse asking for Dr. Aremu to be called. I slept off and when I woke up, the nurse informed me I woke up on the third day after the operation.
“I tried to stand up, but I felt as if I was carrying a heavy load inside of me. I tried to disconnect the drip that was attached to me, but the nurse asked me to calm down and rest,” he said.
After some minutes, the boy said, the nurse disconnected the drip line and wheeled him back to the ward.
He said he was asleep and hours later, Olorunlaye walked in asked him how he felt and said: “Thank God the operation was successful”. He said that was when he realized that his kidney had been harvested.
The 16-year-old boy said Olorunlaye said he did not have cash to give him due to the cashless policy and would give him N1 million for his kidney.
He said Olorunlaye showed him some dollar notes in an envelope and asked if he would take dollars or transfer, but the boy said he did not know where to change the dollars.
”My friend suggested that he needed N100,000 to buy a phone so that we could create an Opay account for the money to be transferred. Olorunlaye transferred the money to him for the phone, which he bought.
”I could not operate the phone because I was still weak from the operation. So, my friend opened the account, but because I did not have a BVN, I could not receive the money.
“My friend later said that the phone got stolen by street boys and Olorunlaye then informed me that I was going to be discharged from the hospital and gave me medication.
”Olorunlaye booked a cab for me and asked where I would go to and I said home and he asked if I was stupid to go home with the stitches and suggested I rent a hotel.
“We stopped in Mararaba and he asked me to go to any phone dealer and send the dealer’s account number for him to buy a phone for me.
“Olorunlaye sent the phone dealer N500,000 and the dealer complained and asked for an account number to send back the balance of N210,000 and I sent another friend’s account number who was in school .
”I went back to Alliance Hospital days after for my stitches removal and was told that the operation site was infected because of my hygiene. Then Olorunlaye advised me to change where I was staying.
”I moved to Ayoma Hotel in Ado, Nasarawa State, but was robbed of N150,000,” he said.
The organ harvesting survivor said he called Olorunlaye, reminding him that he promised to give him N1 million, and that the little money he gave him so far was almost finished.
The witness said he finally had his stitches removed and he travelled to Ibadan to stay with his father’s friend who noticed the operation site and informed his father.
He said his father called him over the phone to explain what happened to him, which he did and his father asked him to go to his aunt’s place in Lagos to be taken care of.
“My father’s lawyer wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police and they told my father to take me back to Abuja where I wrote my statement in Command and I was taken to Alliance Hospital.
“Dr. Aremu took us to the MD’s office and they were detained and the Commissioner of Police asked the MD about the patient that he gave my kidney to and he said the patient was late. He was asked to bring the patient ‘s report and death certificate.
“On our way out, the MD stopped my father and told him to withdraw the case and settle it, saying that he would help me with my education and collected my father’s number to call him.”
While cross-examining the witness, Tahir asked the boy to show the court his scar and asked how he had been feeling.
“I do not feel as strong as before and I am still on medication,” he said.
The defence counsel, Afam Osigwe (SAN) asked the boy if he signed an affidavit and can confirm that he stated that he was 18 years old in the affidavit.
Osigwe also asked if he could confirm that the patient, Egbuson Samson, whom his kidney was donated to, was his relative and he was not being compelled to donate his kidney.
The boy answered that he only signed on a light pen at the high court and signed documents before the surgery while he was weak.
The judge Kezziah Ogbonnaya, however, adjourned the matter until May 7 for continuation of hearing.(NAN)
