C’River police debunk organ harvesting allegation, arrest ex-mortician

Nigeria-Police-Force

The Cross River State Police Command has debunked a viral social media video alleging organ harvesting in Isong Nyang, Akamkpa Local Government Area, describing the claim as misleading and unfounded.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Command said there is no confirmed or reported case of organ harvesting in Isong Nyang or any part of Akamkpa LGA.

The police explained that preliminary investigations showed that on February 13, 2026, the Command received a report about the discovery of eight corpses in an abandoned metal shed near a scrap site at Isong Nyang Junction.

Officers who visited the scene apprehended one suspect, Sunday Reuben Ben, 56. During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to being a former staff member and locally trained mortician with Enghaut Company in Akamkpa, where he managed the company’s morgue and handled deceased staff members.

According to the police, the suspect admitted that he also received bodies of relatives of staff members without formal authorisation from the company’s management and preserved them in the morgue.

The Command stated that the company folded up last year and was later sold to another firm. While corpses belonging to verified staff members were compensated for and released to their families for burial, eight bodies, six males and two females,  allegedly belonging to relatives of staff not officially documented by the company, were left in the suspect’s custody.

Police said the suspect claimed he was instructed to evacuate the remaining corpses and subsequently relocated them to a metal shed along Isong Nyang community near Raboni Church.

The shed was reportedly vandalised on February 12, 2026, by unknown persons, exposing the corpses and triggering widespread concern and misinformation on social media.

The Command disclosed that five of the corpses have so far been identified by relatives and are being evacuated for burial, while efforts are ongoing to remove the remaining bodies. Investigation into the matter is continuing.

The police urged members of the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information that could cause panic or tension in the state, reiterating their commitment to safeguarding lives and property.

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