A Nigerian medical expert has clarified that a kidney procedure involving several young men in Abuja was a case of voluntary organ donation, rather than illegal organ trafficking or forced harvesting.
Speaking on Channels Television, consultant surgeon Dr. Torngee Malu said statements from the young men indicated that they were aware their kidneys were being donated to patients suffering from end-stage kidney disease.
According to Malu, the donors were consenting adults aged 18 and above and had reportedly sworn court affidavits before undergoing the procedures.
He maintained that the surgeries were carried out in a standard hospital and that the medical team followed established procedures for living kidney donation.
Addressing reports concerning payments made to the donors, Malu defended the financial compensation, comparing it to situations where people receive payments for donating biological tissue such as blood.
The medical expert argued that the doctors involved should not be portrayed as criminals if the procedures were conducted with informed consent and in accordance with medical and legal requirements.
His comments come amid growing public concern over allegations of organ harvesting and human trafficking involving medical professionals and young kidney donors in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
However, whether the procedures complied fully with Nigeria's applicable laws and regulations governing organ donation, consent, and financial compensation remains a matter for the relevant authorities to establish.