A Professor of Medicine and Consultant Nephrologist at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Dr. Aliyu Abdul, has revealed that at least, 651 kidneys were trafficked and transplanted illegally in Nigeria between 2015 and 2020.
According to him, the black-market value of these kidneys is estimated at $41 billion, underscoring the alarming scale of organ trafficking in the country.
“This shocking revelation highlights the disturbing rate of illegal organ trade in Nigeria,” Prof. Abdul said.
He raised concerns about where these kidneys were sourced from, questioning whether they came from impoverished citizens who may have been ignorant of the health risks and lured by financial incentives.
Prof. Abdul explained that the illegal trade is run by an organized criminal network involving brokers, so-called “organ hunters,” as well as some physicians, nurses, ambulance drivers, and even travel and insurance agents.
“This means that there are organ harvesters among medical practitioners—people we trust with our lives,” he noted.
Although Nigeria has laws designed to curb such criminal activities, Prof. Abdul stressed that weak enforcement has allowed the illicit trade to flourish.
He called for stronger regulatory actions, enforcement of existing laws, and public enlightenment to dismantle the network fueling illegal organ trafficking in the country.
