The Boy Child Advancement and Protection Foundation (BCAPF); an international non-profit foundation dedicated to empowering and safeguarding the future of the boy child has called on the Nigerian government, and international bodies to ensure justice for the victims of kidney harvest, especially minors who were lured to sell their kidneys in Abuja.
The BCAPF team visited some victims of kidney harvest in Tudun Wada, Mararaba community of Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Saturday.
The visit followed a Daily Trust investigation titled: ‘Inside Abuja’s kidney market where the rich prey on the poor’ published on December 10, 2023. The investigation had exposed a shadow economy of illegal kidney trade in which kidney brokers work with local agents to target and lure young men from low economic backgrounds to sell their kidneys.
Speaking at the weekend, the Global CEO of the foundation, Rt Hon. Uchechukwu Ekpere Paul raised concerns over the medical treatment and well-being of the victims.
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“Our major concern now is to see how to support their medical treatment and make sure they feed well until they get justice, which shall be discussed at the leadership meeting. We have assured them that the organisation will do its part and also the leadership wish to establish a boy child mentorship and leadership center to help train, educate the boys on the value of life and with skills,” he said.
Also speaking, the FCT Programme Manager of BCAPF, Mr Jerry Adamu called on the Nigerian government to bring an end to such business in hospitals.
On his part, the Nigeria Coordinator of the Diamond Youth Transformation Initiative (DYTI) and Nigerian Youth Decide, Mr Ashi Paul called on Nigerians to donate for the health and feeding of the victims. “They are not looking good. There has been no adequate medical treatment and good food for them; and their parents find it hard to maintain them,” he said.
Earlier, Oluwatobi Salaudeen Adedoyin (16yrs) and Yahaya Musa (17yrs) narrated to the team how they were lured to sell their kidneys at a private hospital.
The victims explained that they were asked to lodge in a hotel out of the money given to them where they could be going for treatment in the hospital until the wound healed.
On his part, the community leader of Tudun Wada, Dauda Shuaibu told the foundation that there were other victims of kidney harvest in the community but they could not be present due to poor health.
Both parents of the minors, Saliman Salawudeen Adedoyin and Musa Yahaya said they made various efforts to seek justice for their children and have since reported the matter to various security agents while the matter has been taken to court.
