Organ Trafficking: Benue Man Lures Teen To Abuja, Harvest, Sells Kidney

A 20-year-old man, Aondoaseer Agbadu, has appeared before a Magistrate’s Court in Makurdi, Benue State, on September 14, 2023. He was charged with alleged involvement in the illegal harvesting and sale of a kidney belonging to a 17-year-old boy named Terungwa Swati in Abuja.

According to the state Police Command, Agbadu and his accomplices lured Terungwa to Abuja under false pretenses and harvested one of his kidneys without his or his parents’ consent. When the victim’s father reported the case at the Aliade police station, the other accused individuals had already fled.

The case was brought before the court on September 14, with Inspector Godwin Ato as the police prosecutor. Ato revealed that Alexander Swati had reported the case on August 27, leading to its transfer from the Divisional Police Headquarters in Aliade to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Makurdi.

Aondoaseer Agbadu, residing opposite Union Bank in Aliade, was accused of conspiring with others to deceive and operate on Terungwa in Abuja, subsequently selling his kidney without consent. Agbadu was arrested during the police investigation, while the others remained at large.

The prosecutor cited violations of Sections 27 and 20 (1), (2), and (3) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. He requested additional time for the ongoing investigation.

However, due to jurisdictional issues, no plea was taken. The Magistrate, Mr. Taribo Atta, ordered the accused to be remanded at the Federal Maximum Correctional Centre in Makurdi and scheduled the next court hearing for October 23.