ABUJA — Fresh concerns over patient safety, medical ethics and illegal organ trafficking have emerged in Nigeria following allegations that a young man had one of his kidneys removed without his knowledge or consent after receiving medical treatment in Abuja.

The case came to public attention after Ezekiel Samuel, reportedly from Kaduna State, approached social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), on August 18, 2026, seeking help to establish what happened to his kidney.

According to reports, medical examinations conducted in Abuja indicated that Samuel’s left kidney was absent. The circumstances surrounding the alleged disappearance of the organ, including when, where and how it may have been removed, remain unclear and require an independent medical and official investigation.

The allegation has triggered widespread reactions on social media and renewed questions about patient safety, informed consent and the protection of patients undergoing treatment without close relatives or trusted representatives present.

Nigeria has previously recorded cases involving alleged illegal organ harvesting. In 2024, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) arraigned a medical practitioner in Abuja over alleged kidney harvesting. Recent controversies in Ekiti and Gombe states have also raised similar concerns, although the circumstances and medical explanations in those cases differ.

The issue extends beyond Nigeria. Nigerian nationals have featured in documented international organ-trafficking cases, including the high-profile United Kingdom case involving a young Nigerian man who was trafficked under the promise of employment and subsequently identified as a potential kidney donor. The case resulted in convictions and exposed the vulnerability of people to international organ-trafficking networks.

Organ trafficking is a global problem, with documented investigations and prosecutions involving countries including Brazil, Pakistan, Egypt, India, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Poverty, inequality, the shortage of legally available organs and the demand for kidney transplants can create opportunities for criminal brokers to exploit vulnerable people.

However, the existence of an illegal organ trade does not mean that every case involving an absent kidney is evidence of organ theft. Some people are born with a single kidney, while others may have previously undergone legitimate medical procedures. Each allegation therefore requires medical records, imaging, surgical documentation and, where necessary, a criminal investigation.

In Samuel’s case, authorities will need to establish whether the kidney was removed during a legitimate procedure, whether proper consent was obtained and whether any medical professional or other individual was involved in unauthorised activity.

For now, the allegations remain unresolved. But the case has renewed a serious national conversation about patient rights, medical transparency, informed consent and the protection of vulnerable people from organ trafficking.

Organ trafficking is a serious and disturbing form of organised crime involving the illegal removal, sale or transplantation of human organs. Vulnerable people can be targeted through deception, financial pressure, coercion or false promises of payment.

The illegal trade is largely driven by the demand for transplantable organs and the shortage of legally donated organs. Criminal intermediaries may connect vulnerable donors with recipients and exploit weaknesses in medical and regulatory systems.