By ISAAC UKPOJU

Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a man suspected of involvement in organ harvesting and rescued four alleged victims in Lafia.

The Commissioner of Police, Shettima Muhammad, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Lafia.

He said that the suspect was apprehended on Monday at the Alhaji Yahaya Sabo Motor Park, Bukan Sidi Lafia, after motor park officials raised an alarm.

He said that police operatives of ‘B’ Division immediately moved to the scene where the suspect, identified as Maro Ebojoh, 40, of Etiope East LGA of Delta, was handed over to them.

According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations showed that Ebojoh arrived in Lafia to allegedly recruit organ donors for an immediate kidney transplant.

Muhammed said that the suspect allegedly lured the victims with a promise of N2 million each.

He identified the victims as: Umar Barau, 25, Suleiman Alhaji-Garba, 20, Williams Dadung, 32, and Stanley Ezekiel, 27.

The CP said that the suspect took the victims to a hospital for medical evaluation and one of the victims who passed the screening was moved to Abuja for the transplant, but the procedure was aborted over blood pressure concerns.

“Operatives of the command swiftly moved to Abuja and rescued the victim unhurt from a hotel where he was being lodged,” he said.

Muhammad said that the suspect had confessed to the crime, adding that he had agreed to receive N6.5 million from his client, out of which he had already collected N500,000.

“He further confessed to having procured a donor for another client two months ago, for which he received N1 million, while the donor was paid N2.5 million,” Muhammad added.

The CP said that investigation was ongoing to arrest and prosecute other fleeing members of the organ-harvest syndicate.

In a related development, Muhammad had also announced the arrest of nine suspects allegedly responsible for a series of armed robbery attacks and the killing of a police officer’s son in Karu Local Government Area of the state.

He said that operatives attached to Mararaba ‘A’ Division raided a criminal hideout on Nov. 4 at Musbawu Street, Mararaba, leading to the arrest of the nine suspects, aged between 18 and 29 years.

Muhammad said investigations revealed that the suspects carried out several gang-related night time robberies in Mararaba and neighbouring communities, stealing mobile phones, transferring funds from victims’ bank accounts, and selling off the stolen devices.

“The suspects confessed to attacking and killing the son of a serving police officer during a robbery operation at Uke on May 20,” he said.

The CP added that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia, and the suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

He urged the residents to remain vigilant, especially against individuals posing as organ donors’ agents.

“Say something when you see something,” Muhammad urged. (NAN)