NEWS
Police Investigates Teenagers Who Sold Human Organs
The police in Lagos have commenced investigation into how two teenagers residing at Iyana-Ipaja area sold their organs to a medical doctor in Abeokuta, Ogun state for N200, 000 without the consent of their parents, according to Vanguard.
The teenagers allegedly connived with an adult member of the church and went to a medical doctor at Redwood Specialist Hospital, Abeokuta where their organs were sold for N100, 000 each.
The bubble reportedly bust in September 12, 2022 when one of them started vomiting and she was taken to hospital by her father who thought it was typhoid or malaria and the doctor requested for medical test which later revealed that her anus and private part were damaged.
It was gathered that the sick girl who became unconscious after her health condition was discovered, regained consciousness and disclosed to her father that a female member of his church trafficked them to Ogun state where their organs were sold to a medical doctor.
The teenagers further alleged that the trafficker convinced them to carry out the illegal act because the one whose father is a Bishop, is not paying them enough money and that she will take them to where they will be handsomely paid N100, 000. They also alleged that the trafficker warned them not to tell their father/parent, that if they do, she will kill them.
Giving details of how the transplant was carried out, the teenagers said that the trafficker, without the consent of their parents took them to Redwood hospital in Abeokuta Ogun State and conspired with the doctor identified as Dr. Durodola and injected them some drugs. They alleged that they were further forcefully taken to a PDF hospital in Surulere, Lagos where they were also coerced and their ovaries/eggs/organs were harvested illegally by the medical Doctor without their consent resulting in severe pains and bleeding.
It was learned that based on the startling revelations, the teenagers were taken to another hospital in Surulere, Lagos where they were referred to a medical laboratory for tests and scans which revealed that their liver, uterus, urinary bladder, kidney, spleen and gall bladder were damaged as a result of the procedure.
When contacted, the Bishop, father of one of the teenagers, told Vanguard that when his daughter was taken to the hospital and the test was conducted, her younger ones told him that they knew their sister was sick as she frequented toilet with medical equipment and came out dripping blood.
He said the major suspect, Mrs.Adeleke was staying with her mother in- law in the compound where the church is situated and often attends the church vigil. It was gathered that the other teenager, Favour, stays with the Bishop and he employed her as his secretary in the church with a salary of N20, 000 and his daughter, Precious who is a hairstylist makes Mrs. Adeleke’s hair and gets paid.
It is gathered that the Bishop who was piqued by the ugly development reported the case at Iyana-Ipaja police station and they later transferred it to State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos for further investigation.
However, the case took a different dimension after lawyer to the aggrieved Bishop, Barrister Ikechukwu Chiaha suspected that the police may have compromised over the case based on revelation by his client that the investigators were soliciting for amicable settlement and payment of N300, 000 which he alleged police will take N200,000. Based on this, Barrister Chiaha then transferred the case to National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, which has commenced fresh investigation.
However, in her reaction, the alleged major suspect Mrs Adeleke told Vanguard,” the two girls volunteered to donate their eggs to the hospital after listening to my phone conversation with a doctor and in return, they were compensated with N100, 000, of which Favour gave me N20,000 for introducing them to the hospital.”
When contacted, Lagos state Police spokesman, Ben Hundeyin said; “It was not organ harvesters, the operation was carried out by a professional doctor and the process was legal. All documents were signed and the girls stated in the document that they were above 18 years. The doctor told them about the consequences of feeling pain for two days after and they accepted and donated their organ. Unfortunately, they did not inform their father about it and the father is requesting for N200m as compensation.”.
In their reaction, an official of NAPTIP who pleaded not to be named told Vanguard; “I am not aware of the case. I will ask our people.”
NEWS
Moghalu Prescribes Good Governance As Panacea To Ethnic Agitation
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
NEWS
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
International News
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt Chairman By Police
The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.