In a swift response to the recent exposé by Saturday PUNCH on the alarming rise of organ trafficking in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said any medical staff or clinic involved in organ trafficking must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
It also announced plans to establish a National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Registry in the coming months.
This initiative aims to regulate and monitor transplant activities across the country, ensuring ethical practices and safeguarding vulnerable populations.
This development follows Saturday PUNCH’s two-part investigative report titled, “Organ Trafficking: Unmasking Ritual Killing Lies Behind Booming Human Parts Trade,” which shed light on the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of ritual killings, revealing a booming illicit trade in human organs.
The investigation highlighted cases where individuals, often from impoverished backgrounds, were lured with promises of financial gain, only to fall victim to organ traffickers.
Some kidnapped from various parts of the country are killed, and their organs, allegedly trafficked.
According to the report, in 2018, for instance, a 45-year-old mother of four from Jos, Plateau State, Kehinde Kamal, underwent surgery for appendicitis at Murna Clinic and Maternity, operated by Noah Kekere.
