The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has dragged the Medical Director of Alliance Hospital, Christopher Otabor, and three others, including members of his staff at the FCT High Court, Zuba, Abuja for alleged organ harvesting.
They were arraigned on an 11-count charge under Section 20 (2) a and (3) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, and punishable under section 20 (2) (b).
The defendants are Emmanuel Muyiwa Olorunlaye, Chikaodili Ugochukwu, Dr Christopher Otabor, Dr. Aremu Abayomi, and Alliance Hospital and Services Limited.
NAPTIP alleged that the accused committed the offences between February and May 2023, at Dr Otabor’s hospital, Alliance Hospital and Services Ltd, Abuja.
Director of Legal and Prosecution and NAPTIP’s prosecuting counsel, Hassan Tahir alleged that Emmanuel Olorunlaye procured 17-year-old Adebayo Salaudeen Saliman, 17-year-old Yahaya Musa as well as 25-year-old Aminu Yahuza for the removal of their kidneys at Alliance Hospital and Services Ltd in Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
He added that the MD of the hospital, Christopher Otabor accommodated the victims at the said hospital, while Chikaodili Ugochukwu, an Administrative Secretary at the hospital, assisted in the removal of the kidneys of the victims.
Also, Dr. Aremu Abayomi, a surgeon at Alliance Hospital and Service Ltd is accused of performing the operations.
After the charge sheet was read, all accused pleaded not guilty.
The defense counsel for Olorunlaye, Mr Richard Adeboju moved a motion for bail under Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), seeking bail pending the hearing.
The motion was filed on March 13 and supported with an 11-paragraph affidavit with a written address and urged the court to adopt the same as his oral submission and grant the application.
Afam Osigwe, SAN, the defense counsel for other defendants, filed a bail application dated March 13 with 35 paragraphs affidavit, seeking an order of the court admitting the defendants to bail.
Osigwe said: “Otabor is on bail earlier granted by Justice Hamza Muazu and I urged the court to grant the same. The defendants are responsible persons who run businesses and families and have been diligently honoring NAPTIP’s invitation.”
He urged the court to adopt the same administrative bail conditions granted to the defendants by NAPTIP.
The prosecution did not oppose the bail application but applied for an accelerated hearing on the matter.
He cited Section 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) saying that the court may impose its conditions and does not have to be the same conditions for bail given by NAPTIP.
Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya while delivering a ruling held that judicially, administrative bail fizzles out upon arraignment and cannot determine the court’s bail.
Justice Ogbonnaya however granted the defendants bail, on the condition that they report daily at NAPTIP headquarters and sign an attendance register provided by the court starting from March 19, except the day of the hearing in court.
She also ordered the defendants to deposit their travel documents to the court’s registrar and warned the defendants to adhere to the order or risk their bail being revoked.
The case was adjourned to May 6 to 9 and 13 to 16, for accelerated hearings.
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