Benin City, Edo State – A mortuary attendant is in police custody following explosive allegations of organ harvesting at the Akugbe Mortuary in the Upper Sakponba area, an incident that nearly triggered a fatal mob attack and has cast a harsh spotlight on the vulnerabilities within Nigeria’s mortuary and death care systems.
The case, confirmed by the Edo State Police Command, began when relatives of a deceased individual arrived at the facility on Friday, December 12, 2025, to retrieve the body for burial. Instead of a routine collection, they were met with a horrific discovery: the corpse allegedly had its chest cavity emptied of vital organs and stuffed with nylon material.
“The scene was pure chaos,” recounted an eyewitness, Osaro Ivie. “Temperatures flared immediately. The family accused the attendant not just of theft, but of engaging in ritual practices. The visceral shock and anger were overwhelming.” The situation escalated rapidly, with relatives and community members threatening to lynch the accused attendant and burn down the mortuary before police from the Ugbekun Division intervened to rescue him and restore order.
Beyond the Headlines: Understanding the Anatomy of the Allegation
While the police investigation, led by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), is ongoing to establish the facts, this incident opens a critical window into several grave issues:
1. The Global and Local Context of Organ Trafficking: Organ harvesting is not an isolated crime. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that illicit organ trafficking accounts for up to 10% of all transplants worldwide annually. In Nigeria, such allegations, though often shrouded in rumor, point to a potential black market driven by both ritualistic demands and the desperation of patients on endless legal transplant waitlists. This case forces a question: was this an act of isolated macabre ritual, or evidence of a more organized criminal network?
2. Regulatory Gaps in Mortuary Management: The alleged crime highlights a severe lack of oversight in many private mortuary facilities. Key questions arise: What are the standard operating procedures for receiving, storing, and releasing bodies? Is there a formal chain-of-custody log or a two-person rule during embalming? The apparent ease with which organs were allegedly removed suggests either complicity or a shocking lapse in basic security and accountability protocols.
3. The Trigger for Communal Violence: The near-lynching is a symptom of a deep-seated lack of trust in formal justice institutions. When communities believe the system is slow, corrupt, or ineffective, they resort to self-help, which can lead to tragic miscarriages of justice. ASP Eno Ikoedem, the Police Public Relations Officer, acknowledged this tension, urging calm and promising a thorough investigation while emphasizing the need for due process.
A Path Forward: Recommendations for Systemic Change
To prevent future occurrences and restore public confidence, several concrete steps are necessary:
- Enhanced Regulation & Audits: State health ministries must mandate strict licensing, unannounced inspections, and CCTV monitoring in all mortuaries. Staff should undergo rigorous vetting and training.
- Standardized Protocols: Implementing a “body audit” process, where an external examination report is signed by both the family and mortuary staff upon release, could provide a critical check.
- Transparent Investigation: The police must conduct a forensically sound investigation. This includes an official autopsy on the affected corpse by an independent pathologist to confirm the nature and timing of organ removal.
- Public Sensitization: Communities need clear channels to report suspicions, understanding that vigilantism undermines legitimate prosecution.
The detention of the mortuary attendant is only the first step in a long journey. This case is a stark reminder that the sanctity of the dead is a fundamental pillar of societal trust. The outcome of the police investigation will be closely watched, not just for justice in this single heart-wrenching case, but for the signal it sends about Nigeria’s commitment to protecting its citizens—in life and in death. As ASP Ikoedem stated, the command is committed to a thorough probe, a process the public must allow to run its course to ensure a just outcome. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AUO/EBI
Edited by Benson Iziama
About the Author
