Police arrest mortuary attendant over organ harvesting

A mortuary attendant in the Upper Sakponba area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Edo State, has been arrested following allegations that he removed vital organs from a corpse at Akugbe Mortuary.

The incident reportedly sparked a violent reaction from the deceased’s relatives. Family members raised the alarm when they arrived at the mortuary on Friday to collect the body for burial and allegedly discovered that some organs were missing.

An eyewitness, Osaro Ivie, described a chaotic scene, saying tempers flared after the relatives accused the attendant of ritual practices. “The relatives claimed that the chest cavity of the deceased had been emptied and stuffed with nylon,” he said. The crowd reportedly threatened to lynch the attendant and burn down the mortuary before police intervened.

Confirming the arrest on Sunday, ASP Eno Ikoedem, Police Public Relations Officer in Edo, said officers received a distress call that a mob was about to attack the suspect. The mortuary attendant was rescued from the crowd and taken into custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the allegation.

Ikoedem assured the public that a thorough investigation would be carried out and urged residents to remain calm and allow due process to take its course.