Akpabio: Family Of Late Akwa Ibom Jobseeker Debunks Organ Harvesting Claim

The family of late Inuibong Umoren has dismissed the allegation that their daughter was murdered, and her organ was harvested.

Umoren, a 26-year-old graduate of philosophy from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was lured and murdered by one Uduak Abasi Akpan on April 29, 2021, at his father’s residence in Uruan Local Government Area of the state under the guise of offering her a job.

Akpan was arraigned before Akwa Ibom State High Court, Uyo on charge no: HU/87C/2021 and found guilty of rape and murder and later sentenced to death by hanging on August 4, 2022.

Naijaonpoint reports that a United Kingdom-based activist, Sandra Duru, popularly known as Professor Mgbeke,  during a recent Facebook live session, alleged that suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, attempted to induce her with ₦200 million to falsely accuse the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of organ harvesting.

While Natasha has since denied the allegation, the deceased’s sister, Ifiok Umoren, during a press conference in Uyo on Saturday, insisted that no part of her late sister was missing from the time of the autopsy to the time of burial.

“How can someone tell me and indeed the world that my sister’s organs were harvested? Did the person who accused another went and harvested my sister’s organs after burial?, she asked.

Recalling the incident, Umoren said her sister had called her that fateful morning that she was going for a job interview, but when the deceased failed to return home, she conducted a search and eventually discovered that she had been killed.

Umoren added, “On May 1, 2021, the police called and asked me to send my sister’s pictures to them. On May 2, 2021, the police asked me to come to the morgue for identification of my sister. On arrival, I saw her corpse and confirmed that she was the one.

‘Before burial, the police took the corpse to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital for autopsy. Two policemen and I were in the room and witnessed the autopsy. All organs in her body were complete.

“On May 18, 2021, she was buried. Throughout the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the murderer, Uduak Abasi never mentioned Akpabio.” 

Also speaking, the state Director of Public Prosecution, Friday Itim, who was a prosecuting counsel in the murder case, said Uduak Abasi single-handedly killed Iniubong by hitting her head with a stabiliser over her refusal to allow him to have raw sex.

He said Uduak Abasi, who fled to Calabar, was tricked to return home on the pretext that his aged father, a retired Federal Government staffer, was eventually arrested.

He said, “The murderer who preyed on Iniubong to offer a job later demanded to have raw sex with her, though she wanted him to use condom. The incident led to struggle and argument, and subsequent assault in which UduakAbasi hit her head and abdomen with a stabiliser and she died. After killing her, the murderer dragged her alone into a shallow grave he dug, buried her and used leaves to cover the grave.

‘‘When he returned, the then Uruan Local Government Chairman who is their relation summoned Uduak Abasi and found out from him that he had killed the girl.

“The Chairman had no other option than to surrender the murderer to the Divisional Police Officer in the area for arrest, investigation, detention and arraignment in court.

“The prosecution called 10 witnesses. At the end, Uduak Abasi was convicted. It is, therefore, outrageous and a lie for anybody to conclude that Senator Godswill Akpabio had a hand in the murder in the state talk less of harvesting her organs.”