True life story!
Source: 'Weekend Deal on NTA'
Compilation by Kingsley Abavo, (Managing Editor)
Copyright: BRIAN EVANS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Kamal's mother in Nigeria, sold her landed property and other belongings to send him to the United Kingdom for the acquisition of higher education, with intent to making him a better and responsible person.
Behold, reaching the U.K, Kamal veered off the path the mother envisioned for him back home to seek life on the fast lane; with its many associated dangers.
In the University, Kamal not long found persons of like mind and in Emeka was a trusted ally!
While in search of a gratifying life through the short cut, Kamal and Emeka met illegal body organ sales agent who connected them for the sales and harvesting of their kidney.
Ignorantly, they were happy oblivious of the ruins which lay in wait for them.
To get them hooked unknowingly; the agent gave them some good money.
Both guys immediately became the rave of the moment on campus and the environ with the money available to them.
Maybe; fate playing a role in the episode, Emeka was the first to go for the surgery of the kidney harvest, as Kamal was placed on the waiting list due to sudden change in the arrangement.
Days past, turning to weeks and a month, Kamal did not see his friend Emeka nor hear anything from him.
He became curious and worried until the agent called inviting him to come over, for his turn of surgery for the kidney harvest.
Alarmed; Kamal asked the whereabouts of Emeka from the agent who announced, that he had some complications during the surgery and unfortunately, he did not make it.
At this point, Kamal's heart dropped not knowing what to do immediately and he shouted back at the agent saying; if Emeka did not make it why did you think he (Kamal) would be the one to make it?
He consequently refused to avail himself for the surgery and kidney harvest.
So, trouble began as the agent turned the heat on him demanding Kamal either makes himself available for his kidney to be harvested, having collected money to enter into the contract, refund the money collected, or something more dangerous happens to him.
Now founding himself between the devil and the deep blue sea; and fully aware of the danger awaiting him; Kamal took the option to drop out of school and somehow escaped back home to Nigeria!
Life which was hitherto promising suddenly turned miserable for him; as the mother and everyone became very disappointed in him and would not talk to him anymore; now an outcast in his own supposed home.
"I am also disappointed in myself, and what is the use of a $100,000 with the future not sure anymore and being an outcast in my own supposed home?" Kamal confessed!
Now, all the envisioned glitz from life on the fast lane has gone up in the air like smoke!
Today, there are many Kamals and Emekas in our youths out there striving to hit the goldmine through life on the fast lane; willingly ready to illegally trade off their vital body organs for money.
However, apart from the sure inherent dangers of physical destruction; it is on record that globally the law is against the act of any form of illegal organ business.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), illegal organ trade occurs when organs are removed from the body for the purpose of commercial transactions. This is as the act remains forbidden by the law in Nigeria.
Organ Harvesting: Knowing What Nigerian Law Says
According to the LEADERSHIP newspaper, the Chairman of Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI), Ayo Adebusoye stated that in 2015, the Nigerian Government passed into law, the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition, Enforcement and Administrative Act, which deals on the issue of human trafficking.
“For instance, Section 20, specifically deals with the recruitment of persons for organ harvesting.”
According to him, the law states that "any person who through force, deception, threat, debt bondage or any form of coercion, abuses a position of power or situation of dominance or authority arising from a given circumstance or abuses a vulnerable situation or through the giving or receiving of payments or benefits in order to induce or obtain the consent of a person directly or through another person who has control over him enlists, transport, delivers, accommodates or takes in another person for the purpose of removing the person’s organs, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and a fine of not less than N5,000,000.00.
“Section 20 (2) of the law states that, without prejudice to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, a person who procures or offers a person, assists or is involved in any way in the removal of human organs or buying and selling of human organs, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and a fine of not less than N 5,000,000.
“Section 20 (3) also states that any person who enlists, transports, delivers, accommodates or takes in another person under the age of 18 years for the purpose of removing the person’s organs, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and a fine of not less than N5,000,000.00."
A general health practitioner in Lagos, Dr. Kingsley Aboh, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that there are procedures to follow before kidney transplant can take place in the hospital.
Aboh, said it is always advisable to take kidney of a close relative who must be an adult.
“A minor cannot donate kidney even though he voluntarily wants to donate it. He/she must be mature enough (from 18 years and above) to give consent,” he added.
When asked if one needs to pay money for a donor’s kidney, the health practitioner said the law kicks against it, adding that it is supposed to be voluntary.
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