Abuja hospital denies organ trafficking, suspends kidney transplant services

Wellington Clinics has suspended all renal transplant services while denying involvement in an alleged organ-trafficking case linked to a kidney operation at its Abuja facility.

The hospital said its role was limited to providing an equipped operating theatre under a pre-agreed facility rental arrangement. In a statement signed by its Director of Administration, Yemi Olatunbosun, it said it did not participate in, facilitate, negotiate or benefit from any financial arrangement involving the donor or recipient.

The suspension follows a Nigeria Police Force investigation into an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking syndicate operating in Abuja and Nasarawa State. Police recently arrested and paraded four suspects, including two medical doctors linked to Wellington Hospital. Investigators allege that a 22-year-old man, identified as Samuel Ezekiel, was deceived into undergoing kidney removal and paid $1,250, or about 1.7 million naira.

Wellington Clinics said its records identified the donor as Abubakar Hassan. It said he was admitted on April 24, 2026, as a scheduled kidney donor and underwent a left donor nephrectomy the same day. The kidney was then transplanted into a patient with end-stage kidney failure. The hospital stressed that neither the donor nor the recipient died as a result of the operation.

The clinic said the procedure was conducted by a specialist team led by Dr Benjamin Oyimeh, a senior consultant nephrologist and chief executive of Crown Medical and Kidney Centre. Under the hospital’s collaboration model, the lead consultant handles patient recruitment, clinical assessment, donor-recipient compatibility, informed consent, ethical screening and related legal matters. Wellington said the donor presented documents including a court affidavit, a digital National Identification Number slip and a birth certificate. The investigation remains ongoing.

“

Wellington Clinics did not participate, facilitate, negotiate, or benefit from any transactional arrangements.