In Makurdi, the capital city of Benue State, growing concerns have emerged after reports surfaced of corpses found with missing body parts. Many fear that organ harvesters are operating in the area, targeting unsuspecting residents.
Earlier this year, the body of a young woman was discovered in a refuse dump at Iorapuu Adai Street in Makurdi. The woman was wrapped in hotel bed sheets, her legs tied, and her body stuffed into a nylon sack. Disturbing reports claim that several of her organs had been removed. The discovery shocked the local community, leaving residents terrified and calling for action to uncover the perpetrators.
Not long after, another body, also of a woman, was found under an old railway bridge, but this time her private parts were missing. The police confirmed the incidents, with local authorities assuring the public that investigations are ongoing.
This issue seems to be more than just an isolated case. Recently, an NGO called 24 Hours Road Accident Victims Support Initiative (TRAVSI) raised concerns about a new, terrifying tactic used by criminals to harvest body parts. According to TRAVSI’s founder, Gaddafi Asemanya, criminals are now using flashy cars to hit pedestrians or motorcyclists, pretending to take the victims to the hospital. Instead of providing medical care, they take the victims to secret locations where they remove organs and then dump the bodies.
He said, “We have uncovered a new method used by criminal elements to target their victims and harvest their sensitive organs. These criminal elements would stage an accident by hitting young men who are either riding on bike or walking on foot, and under the pretence that they are taking them to hospital to access medical care, will divert them to an undisclosed place, where they will harvest their sensitive organs. “Their victims are mostly women. After harvesting these organs from their hotels or hideouts, they will dispose the bodies under the bridge or any dumpsite. The latest one was dumped in Achusa village of Makurdi Local Government Area with the blanket of a hotel. Another one was dumped at a stream in Welfare Quarters, while another young girl whose legs were broken while her body parts were harvested was also seen in another part of Makurdi. Her body showed that a vehicle hit her on the leg. The TRAVSI drew the attention of security agencies to it.“Another of such case involved one Godwin Obite, who was kidnapped in Abuja by organ harvesters and brought to Makurdi. We rescued him and he spent 51 days in the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) before he was discharged. “He was lucky to have been discarded by his kidnappers after they sighted a security presence in Makurdi at the eve of the #endbadgovernance protest, which frightened them into abandoning their plan. Initially left to die, Obite spent nearly 20 days in the hospital before regaining consciousness”.He added, “During the intervention, TRAVSI secured a court order to access his account details, then traced his family to Abuja. We were able to reunite him with his brother, a retired army officer in Abuja, who had raised him from a young age.”
Asemanya highlighted that most of the victims are women, many of whom are brought into Makurdi from other cities, such as Abuja. Some of them are even kidnapped. He also shared a chilling story of a young woman who managed to escape from a suspected organ harvester’s car by jumping out and was later rescued by the TRAVSI team. After receiving treatment, she was safely returned to her home.
Asemanya said, “She was drugged from Yaman Park in Makurdi by some persons who put substances in her drink. Luckily, she was a bit conscious at the time they bundled her into a waiting vehicle, and while in motion, she gathered strength to jump out of the vehicle after sensing a mischief.
“It was about 2am that I was called for the rescue operation and we took her to hospital, rehabilitated her after treatment before releasing her to reunite with her family in Yelewata community.”
As the situation grows more alarming, Asemanya is calling on authorities to investigate the increasing number of cases and prevent further victims. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also issued a warning to the public, urging people to be cautious around accident scenes and to ensure that accident victims are only taken to known or government-owned hospitals, not unknown private clinics.
The rise in these incidents has caused panic, and the community is urging security agencies to act swiftly to prevent more people from falling victim to organ harvesting. The public is being urged to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
