Wellington Clinics, Abuja, has denied any involvement in an alleged financial arrangement surrounding a controversial kidney transplant conducted at its facility.
The hospital said its role was limited to providing an equipped operating theatre and a suitable environment for the procedure, which was carried out by an independent specialist medical team.
The clarification followed an ongoing police investigation into allegations of organ harvesting and human trafficking linked to the kidney transplant.
In a statement signed by its Director of Administration, Yemi Olatunbosun, the hospital said the operation was conducted on April 24, 2026, by a team led by Dr Benjamin Friday Oyimeh, a senior consultant nephrologist and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Medical and Kidney Centre.
According to Wellington Clinics, the specialist team retained responsibility for recruiting and evaluating the donor and recipient, assessing their compatibility, obtaining informed consent and meeting relevant ethical and medico-legal requirements.
The hospital said its records identified the donor as Abubakar Hassan, who was admitted on April 24 and underwent a left donor nephrectomy the same day.
It said the donor presented several documents, including a court affidavit, National Identification Number slip, birth certificate, affidavit of consent and statutory declaration of age.
He was also accompanied by a man identified as Abubakar Isa, whom the donor reportedly presented as his brother.
Wellington said the donor was discharged four days after the operation and later returned to the hospital in July for wound management and removal of residual stitches.
The hospital said the kidney was immediately transplanted into a patient suffering from end-stage kidney failure and stressed that neither the donor nor recipient died as a result of the procedure.
Wellington maintained that it neither participated in, facilitated, negotiated nor benefited from any financial or transactional arrangement involving the donor or recipient.
The hospital explained that, under its arrangement with specialist medical teams, consultants handling transplant procedures are responsible for patient recruitment, clinical assessment, donor-recipient compatibility, informed consent, ethical screening and other clinical matters.
It added that the medical team was also responsible for ensuring compliance with the National Health Act 2014 and applicable guidelines of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The controversy intensified after questions emerged over the identity of the donor.
Wellington said it subsequently learned that the donor’s identity was allegedly Samuel Ezekiel, although he had been admitted under the name Abubakar Hassan.
The hospital said there was no indication at the time of admission that the documents presented were false or that the donor had misrepresented his identity.
It maintained that its records department relied on the documents and declarations submitted during admission and had no reason at the time to suspect identity manipulation.
The police are investigating allegations that a young man was deceived into undergoing kidney removal as part of an alleged organ-trafficking operation.
Police have arrested several suspects, including medical personnel, in connection with the investigation. However, the allegations remain subject to investigation and due process, and no final determination of culpability has been made.
Wellington said it was cooperating fully with the authorities and had made its records and relevant documents available to investigators.
As a precautionary measure, the hospital announced the suspension of all renal transplant-related services pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The management said the decision reflected its commitment to ethical and evidence-based healthcare and assured that it would comply with any findings or directives issued by the relevant authorities.
The case has renewed concerns about safeguards surrounding organ donation and transplantation in Nigeria, particularly the verification of donors’ identities, informed consent and protection of vulnerable people from exploitation.
For Wellington Clinics, the outcome of the ongoing investigation is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the transplant and determine the extent of responsibility, if any, of the hospital and individuals involved.
