By Jose Oby 
Port Harcourt, Nigeria — A chilling case of attempted organ harvesting has surfaced in Port Harcourt, as a young man narrowly escaped death after being abducted by individuals posing as police officers.
According to family accounts, the victim was en route to his destination via a Bolt ride when a group of armed men, dressed in police uniforms, intercepted the vehicle. The assailants forcibly removed the young man from the car, grabbing him by his shorts and assaulting him with the butts of their rifles.
Despite the chaos, the Bolt driver bravely continued to follow the kidnappers’ vehicle. However, when he attempted to raise the alarm, the abductors shot out his tires to prevent pursuit.
Inside the kidnappers’ Sienna vehicle, the victim’s hands were tied and he was repeatedly slapped. His captors seized his phones and went through his personal photos. Upon finding images of a recent surgery, they questioned him about his medical condition. The young man revealed that he had been managing kidney failure for seven years.
It was at this point the kidnappers appeared to change their plans. Realizing that the victim’s organs might not be viable for harvesting, they pulled over, deliberated, and ultimately decided to release him. Before letting him go, they stole ₦80,000 from his account through an ATM withdrawal, returned ₦3,000 to him along with his phone, and instructed him to contact his Bolt driver for pickup.
The victim’s family expressed profound relief at his survival, noting that if not for his medical condition and recent surgery, he might have been trafficked and never seen again.
“This is a terrifying reminder that nobody is truly safe,” said a family member. “We can’t even tell real officers from criminals anymore. Even legitimate police personnel are reportedly involved in these atrocities. It’s better to resist than to be taken away in their vehicles.”
The family has called on authorities to address the growing threat of criminal impersonation and organ trafficking urgently.
As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement from the police regarding the incident.