The Nigeria Police Force has paraded two medical doctors and two other suspects over their alleged involvement in an organ harvesting and human trafficking syndicate operating in Nasarawa State.

The suspects were identified as Emmanuel Ode, 23; Dr Benjamin Oyime, 48, a nephrologist and consultant to Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja; Dr Daniel Otukpa, 53, also a nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at the hospital; and David Idoko, 25.

They were arrested by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad during a sting operation on August 19, 2026, at Auta Balifi in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday.

According to the police, Ode allegedly confessed during interrogation to recruiting victims under false pretences for the syndicate.

The police quoted him as saying that on April 24, 2026, he lured a 22-year-old man, identified as Samuel Ezekiel, to Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, where the victim’s kidney was allegedly harvested for $1,250, equivalent to about N1.7 million.

Ode allegedly disclosed that another victim was similarly lured to a hospital in 2022, where his kidney was harvested after he was allegedly paid N7 million.

The Force said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects and their alleged accomplices targeted vulnerable and poorly educated young people in Nasarawa and neighbouring areas, exploiting their financial difficulties to obtain consent for illegal organ harvesting.

It further alleged that the syndicate forged official documents, including victims’ names, National Identification Numbers, birth certificates, age declarations, affidavits and consent letters, to facilitate the alleged operations.

Police said clothing items allegedly purchased with proceeds from the criminal activities were recovered during the operation and retained as exhibits.

The Force said investigations were ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, while reaffirming its commitment to dismantling networks involved in human trafficking and organ harvesting.

The development comes amid recent allegations of kidney trafficking raised by social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.

Otse had alleged that a young man approached his NGO with a medical report showing that he was missing a kidney after undergoing a procedure for which he was allegedly paid.

He further claimed that attempts were made to alter the victim’s identity through affidavits.

The activist also alleged that vulnerable youths in areas such as Nyanya and Mararaba had been targeted by agents and medical practitioners, with harvested kidneys allegedly sold for significantly higher amounts than those paid to donors.

However, amid viral social media claims that large numbers of youths in Nyanya, Mararaba, Karu and surrounding communities had sold their kidneys, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command said it had neither received nor confirmed any such report.

The command urged members of the public to disregard unverified claims capable of causing fear and panic, while encouraging anyone with credible information about suspected organ trafficking to report to the police.