In a revelation that has left many Nigerians speechless, Professor Aliyu Abdu of Bayero University, Kano, has blown the lid off a criminal network that trafficked more than 650 kidneys out of Nigeria between 2015 and 2020, raking in over $41 billion for syndicates on the global black market. The shocking details came to light during a heated seminar on organ and tissue transplantation in Abuja, where Prof. Abdu didn’t mince words about the scope of the crime.
According to Prof. Abdu, who also consults at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, the illegal trade is part of a much bigger international cartel, with about 10,000 kidneys sold every year worldwide. “People don’t realise just how organised this business is. In Nigeria, we’re losing hundreds of lives and livelihoods while criminal gangs make billions,” he lamented, painting a grim picture of an industry that preys on the country’s most vulnerable.
The professor laid the blame squarely on weak regulation and poor enforcement. Even though the National Health Act of 2014 made it a crime to buy or sell human organs, and insisted on clear consent from donors, those rules barely scratch the surface. “Poverty and sheer desperation are making people easy targets. Most of these victims are lured with promises of money but left to face lifelong health complications and psychological trauma—with no help in sight,” Abdu said, his voice heavy with concern.
Lens News gathered that the trade operates like a well-oiled machine. Recruiters, doctors, drivers, travel agents, and even some insurance agents all play a role, moving victims through the shadows and leaving them in the dark once the deed is done. Many never receive proper medical care after the risky surgeries, and some don’t even realise the full danger until it’s too late.
Another bombshell: the total lack of cadaveric kidney donations and functional organ banks in Nigeria has only made the problem worse, forcing desperate patients and their families to turn to illegal means when there’s no hope left in the hospitals. “Until we fix our system and protect our people, these criminals will keep feasting on Nigerian lives,” Abdu warned, calling for urgent government action before the crisis grows even deadlier.
As the seminar ended, a heavy silence lingered in the room – one that echoed the silent suffering of hundreds of families across Nigeria, left to wonder: who will protect us next?
