NAPTIP partners NMA, police to curb human organ harvesting

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced partnership with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the police to tackle human organ harvesting.

The Director General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday.

She said the partnership became necessary following the rising number of unqualified medical personnel involved in the practice, which has affected many innocent Nigerians.

“I have directed the investigation department to liaise with the police whenever there is a reported case of ritual murder. This would enable us to ensure that it is not a case of illegal harvesting of organs.

“We are aware that removing organs for transplant could only be done by professionals in the medical profession. I therefore call on the NMA to do a soul-searching concerning their members’ involvement in the dastardly act. NAPTIP would engage the NMA and the Federal Ministry of Health to work against illegality,” she said..

While calling on the NMA to put measures in place to checkmate organ harvesting by unqualified personnel, Okah-Donli, explained that it is fast emerging as a profitable venture.

According to her, attention is gradually shifting from human trafficking for sexual and labour to organ harvesting, which seems to be a more profitable moneymaking venture.

On tricks that organs harvesters employ to lure unsuspected victims, the NAPTIP boss explained: “Some of the victims are informed that their organs would be taken for a fee after which they would also be taken of.

“But, as soon as the organs are harvested, the victim would be sutured back, the money promised would not be given, while he or she is left to die, if they decide to harvest every organ.”

Okah-Donli warned Nigerians against being carried away by people who flaunt wealth as a tool to luring young girls into sexual servitude.

She explained that the agency had concluded arrangement to “mount surveillance across the country, especially in the southeast and south-south to reduce the success rate of human traffickers during the yuletide season.”

The NAPTIP boss also hinted that the identity of the 26 Nigerian young girls who recently died in the Mediterranean Sea is still unknown.

She explained that NAPTIP was working with the Italian government and also monitoring the progress of the on-going investigations.

While acknowledging that peace is gradually returning to the northeast, she urged security operatives around the internally displaced persons’ camps to fortify the places to prevent human traffickers from picking their victims from there.