An FCT High Court has postponed the case seeking compensation for a victim of illegal organ harvesting to February 19, 2024, to allow time for the parties to prepare for the hearing.
Justice Abdullahi Aminu adjourned the case, brought by the father of a 16-year-old victim, Salaudeen Saliman Adedoyin, against Dr. Aremu Abayomi Adeniran, Dr. Christopher Otabor, and Alliance Hospital and Services Ltd.
The lawsuit originated from a Daily Trust investigation that uncovered an organ harvesting syndicate, implicating Alliance Hospital.
During the hearing, defense counsel C. J. Dimgba requested an adjournment, stating he needed time to study the case file.
The Legal Aid Council, which initiated the suit seeking N500 million in damages for wrongful organ harvesting, did not object to the adjournment.
The Legal Aid Council filed the suit on September 9, seeking N500 million in damages for the wrongful removal of Adedoyin’s son’s kidney and an additional N200 million for pain, suffering, anguish, and mental trauma.
Adedoyin’s son narrated how he was introduced to someone offering employment at Alliance Hospital, where he signed documents without understanding them.
Later, he was informed of a kidney transplant surgery against his will.
In response to the Daily Trust report, Alliance Hospital’s management called it a “campaign of calumny” and insisted they had no involvement in illegal organ harvesting.
He said “I encourage Daily Trust newspaper to dig deep to unravel the key players in this trade. Alliance Hospital has nothing to do with illegal organ harvesting.
“In the meantime, we have instructed our lawyers to write Daily Trust newspaper to retract the defamatory publication against Alliance Hospital within a specific period or face legal action.”
Dr. Otabor C.U. Fwa, the Medical Director, urged the newspaper to retract the publication or face legal action.
Daily Trust’s Executive Director of Digital and Editorial, Naziru Mikailu, refuted the claim, stating the report was based on a three-month investigation, and they stand by their story.
