Wellington Clinics, Abuja, has denied involvement in an alleged transactional kidney transplant that has triggered a police investigation, insisting that it neither participated in nor benefited from any financial arrangement involving the donor and recipient.

The hospital’s denial comes amid questions surrounding the identity of the kidney donor, the circumstances of the donation and whether any financial transaction was involved in the transplant.

Wellington Clinics, however, said it was not responsible for recruiting or screening the donor beyond the documentation presented at the time of admission, as the procedure was conducted by an independent specialist team operating under a facility-rental arrangement.

In a statement signed by its Director of Administration, Yemi Olatunbosun, the hospital said it was cooperating with the Nigeria Police and other relevant authorities investigating the matter.

It also announced the suspension of all renal transplant-related services pending the outcome of the investigation.

According to the hospital, the donor, who was recorded as Abubakar Hassan, was admitted on April 24, 2026, as a scheduled kidney donor and underwent a left donor nephrectomy the same day.

The surgery was performed by a team led by Dr Benjamin Friday Oyimeh, a Senior Consultant Nephrologist and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Medical and Kidney Centre.

Wellington said its role was limited to providing an equipped operating theatre and a conducive environment for the procedure.

Under the hospital’s collaboration model, it explained, specialist consultants retain responsibility for patient recruitment, clinical evaluation, donor-recipient compatibility assessment, informed consent, ethical screening and other clinical and medico-legal requirements.

The hospital said the specialist team was therefore responsible for ensuring compliance with the National Health Act 2014 and guidelines of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

The donor, it said, arrived with several documents, including a court affidavit, digital National Identification Number slip, birth certificate issued by the National Population Commission, affidavit of consent and statutory declaration of age.

He was also accompanied by a man identified as Abubakar Isa, whom the hospital said was presented as his brother.

Wellington said its records showed that the donor was admitted as Abubakar Hassan, with a date of birth of February 4, 2000, and hospital number WCA/8066/2026.

He was discharged on April 28, four days after the operation.

The hospital said he returned on July 11 for wound management and removal of residual stitches and was discharged two days later.

It said the donor had explained that he had travelled and was consequently unable to attend some earlier scheduled follow-up appointments.

The kidney removed during the procedure, according to the hospital, was transplanted immediately into a patient suffering from end-stage kidney failure.

Wellington added that neither the donor nor recipient died as a result of the operation.

But the hospital’s denial of any financial involvement is at the centre of its response to the allegations.

“Wellington Clinics did not participate, facilitate, negotiate, or benefit from any transactional arrangements,” the management said.

It explained that it relied on the documents and declarations presented by the donor and the medical team, adding that it had no independent means or legal duty to conduct a forensic investigation into the relationship between the donor and recipient beyond the identification documents and declarations supplied.

The hospital said there was nothing at the time of admission to suggest that the documents were false or that the donor had misrepresented his identity.

“Since the records department of Wellington relied on the above documents submitted on admission, as per the current level of practice, we were not aware or suspicious of any misrepresentation or manipulation of identity at the time,” it stated.

The management also said it was unaware of any financial or other transactional relationship involving the nephrology team, the donor or any other person connected with the transplant.

It said the donor was treated in its records as a consenting adult donor.

On the identity controversy, the hospital said questions had subsequently emerged regarding the name and identity presented by the donor.

The statement noted that the circumstances surrounding the identity and other aspects of the case were now subject to investigation by the police.

The Police is expected to make its findings public at the conclusion of the investigation.

Wellington said the emergence of the allegations prompted it to suspend renal transplant-related services as a precautionary measure.

The hospital reaffirmed its commitment to ethical and evidence-based healthcare, saying it would cooperate fully with investigative and regulatory authorities and abide by the outcome of the investigation.

It also urged the authorities to examine its records and all documents submitted during the donor’s admission, arguing that they would help establish the extent of the hospital’s involvement in the transplant.

The controversy has placed renewed attention on the safeguards surrounding organ donation and transplantation in Nigeria, particularly the need to ensure that donors give informed consent and are protected from exploitation, while recipients receive care through transparent and lawful medical processes.

For Wellington Clinics, the ongoing investigation will ultimately determine whether the hospital’s claim that it was merely a facility provider holds up against the wider allegations surrounding the transplant.