A 16-year-old boy has disclosed he was given N880,000 cash by one Emmanuel Olorunlaye at the Alliance Hospital in Abuja after his kidney was removed.

The teenager made this known while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Hassan Tahir, at the FCT High Court on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

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 Olorunlaye; the Medical Director of Alliance Hospital, Dr Christopher Otabor; the Administrative Secretary of the hospital, Chikaodili Ugochukwu; and Dr Aremu Abayomi.

The 16-year-old boy, who disclosed that he met Olorunlaye through a friend, said Olorunlaye called his friend when the hospital needed a kidney and that the hospital usually preferred persons with O+ blood group.

He said: My friend introduced me to Olorunlaye and told him I wanted to sell my kidney. Then Olorunlaye asked my friend to take me to any hospital around our area to know if I was healthy to donate my kidney.

“After going to a hospital for my check-up, I was given my result and my friend took a picture of it and sent it to Olorunlaye via WhatsApp because I did not have a phone.

“After two days, Olorunlaye called my friend and sent some transport money to us to meet at the Alliance Hospital to run some tests.

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“I was taken to the laboratory for my blood samples and urine. When I was done, Olorunlaye gave me N2,000 for a cab back home.

“He called me back to repeat the same test in the hospital and again sent me N2,000 for a cab.

“I went on to see him on a Tuesday and Olorunlaye informed me that the surgery will be performed on a Friday.

“He told me not to inform any of my family members and instructed me not to eat from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. and I did as he said.”

The 16-year-old boy added that Ugochukwu later gave him some documents and instructed him to sign them but he did not read the documents.

He said Abayomi came into the room he was kept in and told him that he would perform medical surgery on him.

The teenager said: “He told me not to worry that he will save my life.

“A nurse later arrived, asked me to change my clothes, and wheeled me into the theatre. The nurse gave me an injection that made me sleep.

“Two days later, I heard the nurse screaming my name; so I answered and as I tried to get up, I felt the sharp pain on my side.

“Olorunlaye came into to my room and informed me that my kidney had been removed and asked if I needed cash or mobile transfer of money.”

The 16-year-old boy told the court that Olorunlaye told him that his friend, who “found” him, asked for his share of the N1 million, adding that he gave N100,000 from the money.

The boy disclosed that when he was discharged from the hospital, Olorunlaye asked him to get a hotel to stay and should not mention his name in the incident.

He said: “I was still in pain and decided to go back home. My friend broke the news to my brother that I had removed one of my kidneys.

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“My brother immediately informed my father and he came and asked me to remove my shirt and he saw the stitches.”

The 16-year-old boy said he met the Manager Director of the hospital at the police station for the first time, adding that the MD approached his family and asked them to withdraw the matter from the police with a promise to take care of the family.

During cross-examination, the defence counsel, Afam Osigwe, SAN, showed the boy the consent form and the affidavit from the High Court and asked if he signed the documents.

Osigwe also asked if the boy stated in the document that he was 20 years old and that he wanted to donate a kidney to one Usman Mohammed, who he said was his cousin.

The teenager replied that he only signed on a light pen and denied donating his kidney to Mohammed.

The prosecution, however, asked for an adjournment to enable him to continue with his re-examination over the witness statement of oath made in the civil suit filed in another High Court.

The presiding judge, Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya, therefore, granted the application and adjourned the case until Wednesday, May 8, for the continuation of hearing.

 The Star