NAPTIP arrests suspect for organ harvesting in A’Ibom

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has arrested one suspect in connection with organ harvesting in Akwa Ibom State.

The agency has also secured over 60 convictions with over 15 cases still pending determination in courts.

The  State Zonal Coordinator of NAPTIP, Mr Emmanuel Awhen, disclosed this in Uyo, the state capital on Saturday while fielding questions from journalists during a media briefing to mark the 2025 National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, with the theme “Strengthening Communities by Connecting the Dots.”

The briefing was organised by the state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, in collaboration with NAPTIP and the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour.

Awhen, who was represented by the Head of Public Enlightenment of the agency, Eme Ukpabio, said,  “We have had arrests, I cannot count, the arrest that we do, we bring them to the office and when we realise that most of these cases are not really human trafficking cases, we send them away. The ones that are arrested and put in our centres and charged to court are many. We have had over 60 convictions, between last year and this year we had over five convictions.

“The arrest we had on organ harvesting, the person involved is not an Akwa Ibomite. So when we have such a case, we refer to the mother state where the suspect comes from. Our own is just do the job and do a referral to the command that covers the person’s state where justice will take its course.”

The zonal coordinator who noted that organ harvesting has become a booming trade in the state, disclosed that some clinics and hospitals in the state are engaged in the organ harvesting business.

He added, “Organ harvesting is one thing that is very high now. You may not notice it, but some clinics in this town, with due apologies to doctors who are carrying out legitimate businesses, there are hospitals in this town that are involved in organ harvesting.”

In his remarks, the state Coordinator of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, Ambassador Peace Edem, who highlighted the emotional and psychological dangers of human trafficking, called for continuous sensitisation of communities against the dangers.

He said, “Different forms of human trafficking have been mentioned– sex trafficking, labour trafficking, organ trafficking and others. The dangers associated with these dangers first, are the physical danger, violence and abuse, forced labour and the rest of them, then the emotional and psychological dangers.

“So, we need to also sensitise our communities against these dangers because some of them innocently go into it without knowing.”

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Eno Akpan had, in her remarks, lauded the collaborative efforts of NAPTIP and NACTAL in the fight against human trafficking in the state. She commended the state governor, Umo Eno, for establishing the ministry, which she noted, is saddled with the responsibility of improving the dignity of humans.